Mulago stuck with unknown patients

KAMPALA. Mulago National Referral Hospital is stuck with two “unknown patients” brought in by the police while unconscious and with no identification documents.
The hospital’s public relations officer, Mr Enock Kusasira, said about three to five such cases who are normally baptised as “unknown patients” are dropped daily at the facility by the police.
“Majority of the unknown patients are brought in by the police after being hit by speeding vehicles or iron bar hit men. They are normally brought in the wee hours of the morning,” Mr Kusasira said.
He said the police officers bring in such victims after their belongings have been grabbed by thugs.
“Police normally record a statement describing the features, gender and where the patients were picked up from,” he added.
At the high dependency unit, one female and a male are being treated after they were delivered to Mulago’s casualty ward by the police while unconscious and with no identification [documents].
On Thursday when this newspaper visited, Ms Harriet Nakitu, the officer in charge of the high dependency unit, said the male unknown patient had started mumbling and uttering some words, including his name as Joseph Kakeeto.
“He says he is from Najjanakumbi [on Kampala-Entebbe road] and his mother is called Norah Nasununga of Kijabe village in Masaka,” she said.
The female patient in her mid-twenties, Ms Nakitu said, is still unconscious.
“The female patient was brought here on July 31 after being involved in a nasty accident on Masaka highway. She was first held in the intensive care unit (ICU) until she was out of danger,” she said.
Ms Nakitu said the patients will retain the “unknown patients” tag until they are able to speak or are identified by relatives.
Mr Kusasira said the hospital administration and some good Samaritans, provide food and clothes to the unknown patients.
He said should such patients die under their care, the hospital in consultations with the police would take their bodies to the mortuary where they stay for some legally mandated days before they are taken for burial in a public cemetery.