The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Napak, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The management of St. Kizito-Matany hospital in Napak district is seeking 600 million Shillings to treat bullet-wound patients. The hospital is currently registering an increasing number of patients with gunshot wounds due to the escalation of insecurity in the region.
Dr. John Bosco Nsubuga, the medical superintendent of Matany hospital, says that they are spending a lot of money to treat patients with bullet wounds amidst limited resources. Nsubuga notes that treating an open bullet wound costs 2 million Shillings on average but they only charge the patients about Shillings 100,000 for the entire treatment in the hospital.
He explains that some of the patients escape from the hospital after receiving treatment without paying the dues. According to Nsubuga, the missionary-owned hospital lost about 200 million Shillings last year on such patients.
To raise some funds, the hospital charges Shillings 5,000 for treating children and adults, and Shillings 10,000 for delivery. Nsubuga said much as the hospital is receiving some support from the government, it’s too little considering the overwhelming number of patients ferried to the hospital from different regions of Karamoja, Teso, Bugisu, Sebei, some parts of Kenya, and South Sudan.
“The total budget of the hospital is about Shillings 4.4 billion and 51% of the funding comes from donors. Since January, the facility has admitted 94 gun wound patients. In the last month alone, Matany admitted 24 cases yet there are limited resources to manage the crisis. Nsubuga observes that with the limited resources, the hospital is facing challenges to manage other patients.
The leaders in Karamoja also raised the same concern during the meeting with the president in Morulinga state lodge in Napak district last week. The president promised to support the facility with 600 million Shillings to cushion the financial burden of medical expenses.
Mariko Lokoru, a caretaker for one of the gun wound patients who URN met at the hospital urged the government to deliver on its promise to support the facility that has really saved many Karamojong people.
Lokoru said that the hospital has done much to help them, and he has a belief that once Matany refers some patients to another health facility, the chances of coming back home alive are minimal.
“I didn’t even know Matany was a private facility,” he said. “All along I thought this is a government hospital. Their service is far better compared to government health facilities. They should really support them.’’
St. Kizito Matany hospital was founded by the Comboni missionaries under the German Missourian organization in 1970 with the mission to meet the health needs of the Karamojong people.
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