Experito Kalyango, the former Chairperson of the Management Committee at Mityana General Hospital, has voiced his frustration toward the Ministry of Health for failing to address the pressing needs of the hospital, particularly regarding essential medical equipment and supplies.
Kalyango’s concerns reflect a broader issue affecting healthcare delivery in Mityana district, where inadequate resources and machines have severely impacted patient care.
While speaking to the media on December 3, 2024, Kalyango said that the hospital has been grappling with significant challenges, including a lack of critical medical equipment and supplies like ultrasound scans, x-ray machines, and patient monitors, which has forced healthcare providers to refer patients to distant facilities for necessary services, intensifying delays in treatment and risking patients’ lives.
He added that the hospital management made efforts to write to MOH, indicating that medications delivered by National Medical Stores every two months are not enough because of an influx of patients from various districts, hence making the drugs last for two weeks.
’’The hospital’s operational difficulties stem from a lack of response from the Ministry of Health despite repeated requests for support,’’ Kalyango emphasized.
He also added that there is a need for more ambulances in the district because in case of emergencies some people lose their lives before even getting to the hospital for first aid treatment and better medical care.
Eve Kisembo, one of the medical staff at the hospital, revealed that they have an influx of patients from Gomba, Mpigi, Kassanda, and surrounding areas; hence why they urgently need the government and Ministry of Health to intervene and solve their operational difficulties urgently.
Read Also: Ministry of Health Blames Government Hospital Directors for Poor Service Delivery
She added that National Medical Stores delays the delivery of required medication to the hospital, hence affecting service delivery to the patients.
“Mityana General Hospital is overwhelmed with the number of patients from various districts, the lack of medical operational facilities, equipment, and supplies. The government needs to act now to solve this problem,’’ Kisembo noted.
Kisembo highlighted that health center IVs used to have double cabins that were working as ambulances; however, all vehicles are down and need to be repaired, but there are no funds.
In 2023 the former LOP, Matthias Mpuuga, visited Mityana General Hospital, and he was informed by the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Timothy Ssentamu, that for more than five months, the facility did not have supplies of essential drugs, a breakdown of equipment like beds, anesthetic machines, and patient monitors, posing a challenge in the management of patients with varying ailments.
The urgency expressed by Kalyango and other staff highlights a critical moment for Mityana district’s healthcare system—one that requires immediate attention and action from both local leaders and national health officials to ensure that residents receive the quality care they deserve.
