Hospital to issue IDs for patients

The administration of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital has come up with a new measure to keep away “wrong people” from the hospital.

Speaking to the Daily Monitor on Wednesday, the hospital administrator, Mr Eliaza Mugisha, said identity cards are to be issued to all patients as well as their caretakers.

He said patients referred to the hospital will be required to present the medical documents to the security officers at the entrance before being allowed to get in.

The cards will be displayed at each bed, and the caretakers will have to carry it when moving around the compound.

This comes at a time when the hospital is dealing with numerous thefts, the last one being the theft of computers and television sets.

Protestors blocked
Mr Mugisha said they also had to deal with a group of demonstrators on Monday. Anti-riot police had to be deployed around the hospital to prevent a group calling themselves ‘health activists’ from forcefully getting into the hospital to stage a demonstration.

The hospital director, Dr Florence Gumisiriza, said the hospital had become too congested because of the big numbers of patients visiting it daily on top of those admitted, and in the process giving room for wrong elements to get in.

The hospital treats about 400 inpatients and 200 outpatients daily.

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