Again, a hospital under the ruler of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni gets sinking with either the staff getting sacked, missing equipment or allocated funds dispersing. Arua Regional Referral Hospital we’re founded in 1939. So this is not built on the merits of National Resistance Movement, this is a hospital that we’re running before NRM existed.
Much funding in recent years for the day-to-day operation has been through the SUSTAIN and Anti-HIV/AIDS program of USAID. That lasted for 5 years and we’re run by partners University Research Co. LLC and Integrated Community Based Initiatives (ICBI). This lasted until June 2015.
The missing equipment now at hospital isn’t new as in February 2016 this we’re reported:
“Arua Regional Referral Hospital is struggling with an acute drug stock out. Information obtained by URN shows that the hospital has been operating without essential drugs for the last two months” (…) “As a result, patients are diagnosed and referred to private facilities to buy the necessary medicine. Christine Atizuyo, an expectant mother told URN that she was asked to pay Shillings 10, 000 and buy medicine from a private facility, when she visited the hospital for antenatal care recently” (…) “Dr. Darlington Akusa, a cancer specialist at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, says they are struggling to provide health services to patients due to lack of drugs. He says currently they only examine patients and prescribe for them medication, which they have to buy from private facilities” (Ariaka, 2016)
So that the regional hospital lacking stuff isn’t new, it is just systematic the way the NRM sees fit for the importance of the Health Sector and the well-being of its citizens. Surely the NRM might have funds for vaccines and medicines through GAVI, but they have stolen that in the past and surely in the present if needed. So with the knowledge of this the government continues to pass the buck and give enough to supply the hospital.
This will happen again as long as the NRM regime continues to rule. They just don’t care instead they uses fortunes on expenses and luxurious lavish lifestyle for the current Members of Parliament. Peace.
Reference:
Ariaka, Robert – ‘Arua Hospital Grapples With Drug Shortage’ (16.02.2016) link: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/drug-shortage-hits-arua-regional-referral-hospital-patients-forced-to-buy-drugs-from-private-clinics-#ixzz4HzefUF6a
MinBane 