Citizens lose time seeking health services- Study

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Patients around the country spend 74 minutes on average to access a government health facilities.

This is according to findings from a national survey, Health Check released by Twaweza.

The findings look at how citizens view health services in Uganda.

According to the World Health Organization-WHO, the standard distance to a health facility should be 5km.

According to Marie Nanyanzi, the lead researcher, a journey to a government facility, time spent at the hospital and the journey back home, all take three hours.

In rural areas according to the findings, time rises to 84 minutes and falls to 47 minutes in urban areas.

According to the findings, citizens attribute the long distance to health facilities to poor means of transport.

The findings also indicate that the doctor-patient burden is still a challenge. It shows that within 30 minutes, 1 out of four patients are attended to, unlike in private health facilities where two out of three patients get attention.

Aggrey Sanya, the General Secretary Uganda Medical Workers Union notes that though there is improvement, the National Health Policy should be revised to allow health centres take charge of purchasing their own needs. Currently, health facilities receive their supplies from National Medical Stores.

He adds that medical stock-outs at government health facilities force health workers to send away patients with only prescription.

The other challenge according to Twaweza research is the limited number of beds at government health facilities. 7% of admitted patients at the facilities slept either on a mattress or on the floor, this is in contrast to private health facilities where 2% experience a shortfall in beds.

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