Specialists decline work at Gulu hospital over meager pay

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Medical consultants have for a decade declined work at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital citing the meager pay from government as the hospital struggles with the needy patients for specialized treatment.

The positions of the senior consultants lacking in the hospital include that of a specialist for internal medicine, a pediatric and a specialist for surgery and a gynecologist. The hospital has equally failed to attract a specialist for pathology, anesthesia and a specialist for public health.

Other positions include an orthopedic surgeon, a radiologist, a specialist in the department of nose and ear, a psychiatrist and a specialist for ophthalmology.

There are also gaps for 10 medical officers of special grade to work in the general medicine ward, with only 4 of them available.

The records from the hospital principal human resource department indicate that the hospital only has 220 staff of the 350 required numbers.

Dr. David Tibamanya, the Principal Administrator of the hospital told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that the hospital has failed to attract the consultants for over 10 years in search.

Tibamanya explained that the hospital requires to have 34 consultants but noted that the specialists always prefer teaching in higher institutions of learning and other private works which earn them better pay.

He revealed that the consultants working in the hospital only get between 3 to 4 million shillings while those working in other institutions are getting around 7 million shillings.

The hospital has on several occasions referred patients whose conditions require specialized treatment to other health facilities.

However, many of the patients referred to those facilities with the services often fail to meet the cost of transport, treatment and get back home.

Alfred Ocen, a father of 2 children in Laminadera village from Koro sub county in Omoro district is among the people who were recently referred to Mulago Hospital with a child for special attention.

Ocen says that when he went to Gulu Regional Referral hospital in late February this year with a 6 months old baby girl, he was then referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Ocen disclosed that the doctor told him that the baby was suffering from a heart complication which needed urgent diagnosis from the Mulago Hospital and whose operation may require close to 30 million Shillings.

“I couldn’t afford to get that money and I left the hospital with her back home where she died a week later,” Ocen recounts in tears.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Public Relations Officer for Ministry of Health says that he is yet to consult with the Permanent Secretary for more updates on the recruitment at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.

The annual health sector 2020 report indicates that of the 65,364 required number of staff considered working in the different health facilities across the country, only 47,929 are actually recruited. This has however created gaps in human resource in the general hospitals.

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