Theatres close over lack of staff

Doctors operate a patient in a theatre. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Dr Israel Kyejimbo, the in-charge at Kakumiro Health centre IV in Kakumiro Town Council, said the crisis has also affected operations at the health facility.

KAKUMIRO. Kakumiro District health centres have abandoned key medical and surgical operations as their only theatres remain closed over lack of technical staff.
Kakumiro District only has two well equipped theatres at Kakumiro and Kakindo health centre IVs in Kakumiro and Kakindo town councils, respectively.

They all serve about 350,000 people. The crisis of key theatre staff such as anesthetists and theatre assistants has left the theatres closed for about a year.
Key surgeries such as hernia, caesarean operation on expectant mothers and critical life threatening injuries cannot be handled there and patients are referred to either Mubende or Hoima regional referral hospitals, which are about an hour’s drive away.

The in-charge of Kakindo Health Centre, Dr Hargreaves Byaruhanga, said the theatre has been closed because of lack of key staff and this has left people to suffer with referrals.
“We have been raising our concerns ever since Infectious Diseases institute (IDI) stopped the ‘Saving Mothers, Giving Life’ project, that was supporting us with staff. Later, everything came to a standstill,’’ Dr Byaruhanga said.

He added: “Some expectant mothers have died or lost their babies because we refer them to Hoima or Mubende and these are distant places. We understand the pain our people are enduring and yet all their concerns would be attended to at our theatre here’’.
Ms Jane Kamagara, a resident of Kalangala Village, Kibijo Sub-county, Kagadi District, said her daughter lost a baby after she was referred to Mubende hospital and she reached late and doctors could not save her unborn baby.

Ms Vastina Kabarungi, a resident of Irora Village in Kiryanga Sub-county, in the neighbouring Kagadi District, said she had battled hernia infection for years but she could not get operated on at Kakindo Health Centre IV because of the challenges at the theatre.
Her life was saved last week when Adalante Africa, a non-government organisation held a free surgical camp with doctors from Spain.
Dr Israel Kyejimbo, the in-charge at Kakumiro Health centre IV in Kakumiro Town Council, said the crisis has also affected operations at the health facility.

‘‘It is true that our theatre has not been working for about one year and the problem started when IDI withdrew the personnel support. We nowadays refer all cases necessitating surgery to Mubende hospital. We have received several cases of expectant mothers suffering ruptured uterus and others losing their babies because of delayed attention and poor transport system,’’ Dr Kyejimbo said.

The Kakumiro District health officer, Dr Robert Senteza, said: ‘‘We have a known challenge for human resource in health in the district due to inadequate wage bill especially of critical staff gaps in that area of service of the theatre. With all stakeholders at all levels aware of this service delivery hiccup, joint collective efforts are on and the population should remain calm and hopeful as we try our best for the best,’’ Dr Senteza said.
The Kakumiro District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Stephen Monday, said the need for key staff at the health centers has been included in the next financial year recruitment plan.