NEWS: Jinja Hospital pathetic - MP Balikowa

Jinja Hospital pathetic - MP Balikowa

Monday, 29th June, 2009 from NEW VISION

JINJA Hospital is in a pathetic state, Parliament has heard. Budiope MP Henry Balikowa told Parliament presided over by the deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, on Thursday that the hospital also lacked basic medicines like panadol and septrin. Balikowa said his attention was drawn to the pitiable situation at the hospital, which serves the entire Busoga region as a referral facility, when a relative was admitted last week. “What I found at the hospital was pathetic. What perturbed me most is that medical workers do not have gloves,” Balikowa noted. He demanded an explanation from the Government. However, Kadaga did not ask any government official to give an explanation. Health minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga in an interview with The New Vision, explained that all hospitals are well supplied with drugs from the National Medical Stores. He blamed the shortages on corrupt hospital staff. “MPs should probe the situation of drugs in hospitals in their constituencies,” the minister said over the phone. An inventory of drugs sent to Jinja Hospital from the National Medical Stores under the Credit Line Programme shows that anti-malarials, pain killers, de-wormers and sterilizers were supplied. Others are sundries, condoms, contraceptives, syrups, ointments and other medical equipment. “The drugs are there unless the Primary Health Care funds have been diverted or the drugs we supplied were stolen,” Hamis Kaheru, the National Medical Stores spokesperson, said. Most patients talked to over the weekend, on condition of anonymity, expressed disgust at the appalling conditions. They said the workers ask them to buy glooves and drip water. Dr. Benon Wanume, the medical superintendent, refuted the drug shortage allegations, adding that not every patient required to be handled with gloves.