KATAKWI : Medics say that the limited number of beds and space in the hospital sometimes leaves them with no option but discharge some of the patients and make them complete the dose while at homes.
PHOTO: Katakwi general Hospital signpost at the main gate.
In a bid to improve health care services in Katakwi district, patients and attendants have asked the government to improve on the condition of the infrastructures in Katakwi district Hospital facility to accommodate soar number of patients.
A section of the patients and attendants that interacted with this website over the weekend voiced concerns over the limited space in the facility particularly in male, female and children’s’ wards. They noted that lack of beds forces them to be discharged by medical handlers before completing required treatment to allow other new patients in critical condition to equally occupy space for treatment.
They now appeal to the government to expand the structures to better the daily service delivery at the government facility.
Joseph Emuron a senior medic attached to the clinical department acknowledges the challenge, he stresses that government recently approved a master plan for the expansion of the facility awaiting funding.
He further revealed that in average the facility receives a minimum of 3000 cases in just a single month and this according to him is explicit compares to the limited structures amidst the willing and dedicated staff.
PHOTO: Anurse attending to a patient at the Children’s ward in Katakwi general Hospital.
Geoffrey Omolo the Katakwi district chairperson exclusively told the patriot communications that a lot needs to be done to adequately equip the Katakwi district hospital to match the overwhelming population, however the district is handcuffed with meager resources.
Omolo further explained that there have been notable achievements in the recent past, the health sector further needs critical interventions by government and non-governmental organizations.
” We are still hit by a dilemma of under-staffing, drug stock-outs and poor infrastructure yet this are a key hindrances to effectiveness and equitable service delivery in public health facilities”, Omolo said.
Katakwi district has 111 public health facilities ranging from health centers II, III, IV, and one general hospital.
He calls on government to increase on the number of doctors in the district general hospital to offer the much-needed medical services amidst the crisis of infrastructure.
In February this year 2023, the Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng listed 10 challenges that she said bedevil the healthcare system in Uganda as she called for increased funding for the sector.
Aceng revealed that lack of specialists, unaesthetic officers, dispensers, pharmacists, and theatre staff as well as inadequate financing remain a nightmare in the Ugandan health sector.
