Bishop challenges minister for lack of medical equipment

Gulu- A function meant to celebrate St Mary’s Hospital Lacor’s 60th anniversary on Saturday turned dramatic after the main celebrant, Bishop Sabino Odoki, charged at the State minister for Primary Healthcare, Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, over lack of key medical equipment in health facilities across the sub-region.

Addressing a gathering, Bishop Odoki of Arua Diocese tasked Dr Kaducu, who was the chief guest, to explain why there is no single CT scan nor a radiotherapy machine despite reminders from the locals.

“There is no single CT scan machine in the entire northern Uganda. It is a pity that these machines cannot be availed to help our people. Despite their inability to pay for them, many are referred to expensive facilities in Kampala which they cannot afford,” Bishop Odoki said.
“I am happy that the Leader of Opposition, Ms Betty Aol Ocan, is here, please take note of my words here as a witness because we need this equipment here,” he added.

Challenges
Mulago remains the only national referral hospital in the country.
“Other regions have these machines and why not us? Remember our people are too poor to afford transport and other costs to have these services at facilities in Kampala,” he said.

“Facilities such as Lacor hospital here serve patients from the entire northern Uganda, DRC and South Sudan. We should have these machines considering the high demand for them. I am therefore challenging you minister on this,” he added.

In her remarks, Gulu Woman Member Of Parliament Aol Ocan expressed disappointment over delays by government on its pledge to deliver key medical equipment.

“I am disappointed that government still has failed to know the challenges our people go through. If Mbarara hospital has all these machines, why has government failed to deliver one to northern Uganda to save our people?” she asked.

“Minister Kaducu, you are in the kitchen there, get for us these things urgently, all these lives we are losing are important and equal. We have documented scores of people who have died on the verandahs at Mulago hospital or returned without accessing treatment because of overcrowding and failure to secure CT scan, radiotherapy services,” she added.

Dr Dominique Atim, the Lacor hospital director, said they are unable to meet the health needs of the population in the region.
“There were some equipment that we had in the past, they all broke down and we cannot afford their spare parts,” Dr Atim said.

Minister reacts
However, Dr Kaducu said in her speech that government was already in the process of equipping all regional hospitals countrywide with state-of-the-art equipment starting this financial year.

“Following a meeting with President Museveni and Dutch officials recently, the President has directed my ministry to equip all the 14 regional hospitals across the country with equipment, including CT scans. MRI machines have also been identified although it is being discussed,” Dr Kaducu said.

“Uganda Cancer Institute has started the process of opening regional centres of excellence across the country and this Financial Year 2019/2020, we are going to have two centres in Gulu and in Mbale regional hospitals,” she added.

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