The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several government health facilities in Teso are operating without ultrasound scan and x-ray services.
Government structures, according to Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Senior Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Health, provide ultrasound scan and x-ray machines to all health center fours, district hospitals, Regional and National Referral hospitals.
The services are expected to be offered to patients at no cost.
However, patients seeking ultrasound scan or x-ray services in many government health facilities across Teso are spending huge sums of money to access the services in private facilities.
The patients who seek health services from government facilities are referred to private clinics, mostly owned by medics for treatment.
A scan or x-ray in a private clinic costs between Shillings 20,000 to 50,000 in Soroti.
Majority of patients, whose livelihood is based on subsistence farming, sell their animals or rent out a piece of their land to access the services.
Serere district that has two health center fours run by government. Patients spend money on transport to Soroti town for scanning or x-ray services especially if the two private facilities in Serere are not in use.
Sarah Akiror, an expectant mother from Kadungulu sought treatment from Apapai HC1V in Serere district that required an ultrasound scan. There was no scan in Apapai and was referred to Serere HC 1V, which had the same problem.
Akiror, who had no money for the scan requested medics to manage her condition that was threatening her unborn baby after being diagnosed with malaria. She was later referred to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, where she was still recommended for a scan.
The patient took the first scan at Community Clinic and another at Joint Clinic given the preferences from different doctors at the hospital.
“When I arrived here, I was asked to do a scan following my history of draining to establish how the fetus was. After the first treatment on malaria with artesunate, I was put on quinine because malaria had resisted. The doctor, again asked for a scan to establish whether quinine had affected my baby. That cost me Shillings 50,000 on scans alone”, Akiror said on her bed at maternity ward in Soroti Regional Referral Hospital.
Akiror is not alone. Another mother, Agnes Akwii started her treatment in Amuria HC 1V in Amuria district.
She was asked for a scan but the service was not available at the facility. She was later admitted to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital where a number of scans were required after every cycle of treatment.
She told URN that the medics first scanned her in the maternity ward in the hospital and charged her Shillings 20,000. She, however, took other scans in private clinics following recommendations from the doctors.
Rose Apiny, who is attending to her daughter at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, said besides seeking scanning services in private clinics, one has to part with money for drugs as well.
She explained that the hospital only offers prescription, diagnosis and bed in the wards while drug, scans and x-ray services are given out at a cost.
But Rose Amaaset, who is attending to her sister, Jennifer Adiango at maternity ward in Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, says her patient was offered free scanning services on Monday. Amaaset seemed to be the only lucky one, by the time of filing this story.
When contacted, Dr. Michael Mwanga, the Director Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, said the hospital has acquired a new ultrasound scanner that only works during official working hours.
He explained that while patients were being referred to private clinics for scans in the past, the situation has changed since the last month.
“Both out ultrasound scanners and x-ray machines work and are in good shape. We have done a lot of improvements in the past six months. If there is anyone referring patients to private clinics, I’m not aware”, Dr. Mwanga said on phone.
Robert Okitoi, the Amuri District LC V Chairperson, says they have registered several concerns from patients over the absence of scanning and x-ray services at Amuria HC1V. Okitoi said that his office is coordinating an urgent meeting to sort out the mess in health service delivery.
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