TORORO – Authorities at Tororo district referral hospital have express worries after dogs invaded the hospital putting the lives of both patients and medical staff into danger.
According to the hospital senior administrator Mr. Walter Uryek Wun, the invasion of dogs has partly scared health staff from executing their duties mainly at night because its mostly at these hours that the dogs force themselves into the hospital through the broken chain link.
Mr. Uryek Wun made the disclosure on Friday before the district leaders who had turned to be partner of the handover of 20 mattresses that had been donated by Tororo Cement Industry to Tororo referral hospital where he appealed for support to help towards wall fencing of the facility.
He thanked the investors for support extended towards equipping of wards but he said the safety of the patients, staff and equally the properties remains a big challenge since the existing chain link have several outlets which make it easy for thugs and dogs to access the hospital.
The safety of patients and medical staff are not guaranteed because the chain link has several inlets that make it easy for thugs and wild animals and for this case dogs to access the hospital yet when they enter into the hospital compound they become wild and its worse at night it’s on this background that we request government and any development partner to come on our rescue’’ Mr. Uryek Wun said.
He added that wall fencing of the facility will also protect the hospital land from being encroached into by developers who have already encroached into part of the hospital land and made developments on them.
Turning back to the donation, he said most of the mattresses had worn out forcing them to park some of the hospital beds especially at the children’s wards and sometimes ask attendants to improvise mats to have them be admitted.
He said the facility has severally received mattresses but they have been affected by the overwhelming number of patients that the facility serves coupled with patients who are admitted with unique conditions that force them to tear and wear before the prescribed lifespan of the facilities.
He identified the unique cases being those who involve in accidents, those who suffer effects of post-abortion among others.
However the acting district LCV chairperson Ms. Stella Imukutet Echirya challenged the administration to come up with a mechanism of ensuring that non-Ugandan nationals who come into to seek medical services at the facility are made to pay for the services.
The chairperson’s call follows a report presented by the hospital administration that most of the patients that trek in to access medical services at the district hospital and health centres along the border are mainly Kenyan nationals and this has contributed to constant drug stock out in this health facilities.
“I challenge you to come up with a mechanism of making sure that non-Ugandans are charged a fee for them to be served which money can help the administration pay for utilities as well as co-fund the proposed wall fencing of the facility,” she directed.
“We are doing this not because we don’t want them but even when our people cross to Kenya for instance to seek medication, they are charged a fee which should not exceptional for them also when they cross to Uganda,” she added.
Ms. Imukutet advised the administration to secure poison dogs that sneak into the facility as they engage in lobbying for support from the central government and well-wishers to wall fence the hospital.
The donation of 20 mattresses comes a week after the ministry of health delivered two additional delivery beds to equip the maternity wing of the hospital resulting from media reports that the facility had inadequate beds hence forcing pregnant mothers to deliver on the floor and mats.
While handing over the mattresses to the hospital, the district leadership, the assistant marketing manager Tororo cement Industry Lawrence Wamale said the donation was purely corporate social responsibility that they are extending to the communities besides providing employment opportunities.
He said as a company they value much health issues and that is why they have gone ahead to support Opedede health centre two by stocking it with drugs and pledged that they will often respond where the need arises.
