The Parliament Committee on Authorities Assurances and Implementation is investigating the circumstances surrounding the dismantling of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.
Chaired by Hon. Abed Bwanika, the committee is scrutinising authorities commitments within the well being sector and developments in new cities and districts.
In 2019, Parliament accredited a mortgage request, allowing the Authorities to borrow roughly Shs200 billion from the Worldwide Improvement Affiliation (IDA) of the World Financial institution Group beneath the Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UgIFT) Programme.
The funding was purposed for upgrading well being centre II’s to well being centre III’s in sub counties missing government-owned well being centre III amenities.
In 2021, an extra mortgage request of Shs352.2 billion from the IDA was accredited by Parliament to finish the upgrades, assemble and equip new well being centre III’s, and recruit workers for all upgraded well being centre II’s, amongst different aims. Authorities additionally procured ICU for all regional referral hospitals.
Through the committee’s go to to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital on Friday, 29 June 2024, it was found that regardless of receiving 10 ICU beds, solely 4 had been operational as an ICU.
Parts comparable to displays, ventilators, and ICU beds had been relocated to different hospital areas, severely compromising the ICU’s performance. Moreover, two ICU beds had been out of service.
The committee’s deputy chairperson, Hon. Joyce Bagala, expressed concern over the unfinished ICU models offered to the committee, noting discrepancies within the gear equipped by the Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company and the Authorities.
AUDIO: Hon. Joyce Bagala and Hon. Abed Bwanika
Hon. Bwanika demanded explanations from the hospital administration relating to the whereabouts of the ICU elements and the explanations behind their dismantling.
“It’s regrettable that costly ICU gear has been dispersed throughout the hospital, rendering the ICU ineffective, the people accountable seem unable to account for this stuff, a few of which had been repurposed as customary hospital beds,” Bwanika stated.
Stories indicated that senior hospital administration had determined to redistribute some ICU elements to numerous wards, together with maternity, surgical, and emergency models after the tip of COVID-19.
An ICU unit sometimes includes an ICU mattress, ventilators, drug pumps, oxygen provide, and suctioning machines. Nonetheless, a number of ICUs on the hospital had been discovered missing these important elements.
In response to the state of affairs, the hospital’s storekeeper, Robert Vupale, was escorted to the police station to document a press release on the dismantling of the ICU and the lacking gear.
Hon. Robert Ssekitoleeko (NUP, Bamunanika County, Luweero) proposed holding the whole hospital administration accountable for the ICU’s degradation.
“The accountability for this situation lies with all concerned events, together with the director and technical workers managing the ICU. A complete investigation ought to be carried out to deal with the breakdown in institutional administration,” proposed Ssekitoleeko
Following discussions, the committee determined that the hospital’s Director, Dr Peter Mukobi, presently away on official duties in Kampala, ought to report back to the Gulu Central Police Station and document a press release relating to the state of affairs earlier than the Police can decide the way to proceed with investigations into the matter.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.