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Medical body probes kidney harvest saga
Muhammad Kabanda, a resident of Gangu village on the outskirts of Kampala is said to have visited the said health facility on September 24, 2022 following a boda boda accident along Lukuli road. PHOTOS/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The council also directed the complainant’s lawyers to make a formal complaint before them.
The Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council is investigating a controversial case in which Mr Muhammad Kabanda alleges that his kidney was harvested at Old Kampala Hospital.
In an October 17 letter addressed to Lukwago and Company Advocates, Mr Kabanda’s lawyers, the council registrar, Mr Gubala Katumba Ssentongo, stated that the investigations were initiated by the Director of State House Health Monitoring Unit following media reports that the former patient’s kidney had been harvested.
Mr Ssentongo states that the council was directed to institute a team to investigate the allegations and the hospital came up with a report.
“Pursuant to the request, the council has since retrieved the patient’s file from the hospital and obtained statements from the hospital management and the doctor that performed the surgery,” he stated.
The council also directed Mr Kabanda’s lawyers to make a formal complaint before them and also avail all medical documents and radiology reports that are in his possession in line with the investigation.
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who is one of Mr Kabanda’s lawyers, was requested to present the client before the team of specialists constituted by the council that includes a radiologist, general surgeon, urologists, and neurosurgeons for examination at Mulago National Referral Hospital private out-patient yesterday . “Under Section34 (7) of the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Act, the council is seized with power to order and enforce the attendance of any person at any inquiry and require the production of documents as it may deem fit,” Mr Ssentongo stated.
When Daily Monitor contacted Mr Lukwago, he said his client appeared before the council yesterday as was required.
However, he is concerned about the commencement of the investigations at the insistence of the State House Health Monitoring Unit without any prior communication from him.
“We hope they will conduct a professional and independent investigation and produce a credible report without any external influence,” Mr Lukwago said.
Background
Last week, Mr Kabanda accused the hospital of harvesting one of his kidneys without his knowledge after he sought surgical operation at the health facility.He said he visited the hospital on September 24 following a boda boda accident on Lukuli Road in Kampala.The hospital confirmed receiving and handling Mr Kabanda. He, however, said when the operation was done, he was shocked to discover that he had a fresh cut on the left-hand side of his abdomen and did not receive a satisfactory explanation from the doctors. Mr Kabanda said when he did two ultrasound scans; one at Malcolm Hospital and another at Mulago, the radiologists’ reports confirmed that his left kidney was missing. A CT scan at Mengo Hospital also confirmed the result.
Mr Kabanda, who is seeking compensation from the facility, filed a criminal case at Old Kampala Police Station and police have since commenced investigations.
