Rugyeyo hospital officials appeal for govt support

Kanungu.

The management of Rugyeyo Community Hospital in Kanungu District have appealed to government to extend more support to the facility, arguing that they are overwhelmed by the demands.
The hospital management said they need medical equipment, drug supplies, salaries and accommodation for staff and a shelter for HIV/Aids patients.
Before turning into a hospital in 2014, a total of 284 tea farmers in Kanungu District mobilised Shs850 million that was used to renovate and equip the facility.
The hospital operates under the public section where services are free and the private wing which offers services at a subsidised fee.
“The government sends us medical supplies for health centre III’s yet we are a hospital,” the Rugyeyo Community hospital administrator, Mr George Owakukiroru, said on Tuesday.
The hospital, which has 67 staff members, receives about 10,000 patients per year.
Mr Owakukiroru said businessman James Musinguzi Garuga and his family pay Shs22 million per month to cater for salaries of 38 medical personnel while government pays for 29 staff.

Presidential pledge
He, however, appealed to President Museveni to honour the pledges he made while commissioning the facility in January 2015.
Mr Owakukiroru said the President pledged to construct an emergency ward with a modern Intensive Care Unit, a modern theatre, and an ambulance for the effective running of the facility. He revealed that Kanungu District local government provides technical support and supervision through the office of the district health officer.
The chairman, board of directors, Mr Frank Byaruhanga ,said: “We need more patient beds, timely supply of drugs and medicines, and stable electricity supply. We need government support to pay all staff salaries so that the monthly donation from Mr Garuga can be used in developing the hospital.”
Rugyeyo Community Hospital has an intensive care unit for both adults and new born babies, an X-ray department with a state of art machine, theatre, a blood bank, two ambulances and laboratory.
It offers HIV/Aids care services, maternal and child health care services including immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, and family planning.
The community hospital also runs a reproductive health voucher project where poor pregnant mothers in communities are offered services at Shs4,000.
Under this programme all their costs such as antenatal clinic, delivery, postnatal care and treatment of their new born babies up to the age of six weeks are fully catered for.