Moroto Hospital medics abandon night shifts over insecurity
People standing at the outpatient department at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital. Photo | Steven Ariong
What you need to know:
- The first incident was reported on August 2, 2021 when three men armed with guns jumped over the hospital fence into the hospital compound causing a stampede.
The security situation at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital in Karamoja sub region remains unstable as armed men keep loitering around the premises.
This has made the health workers at the hospital abandon night duties leaving patients stranded.
In August this year, unidentified men whose motive remains unknown, started attacking the facility armed with guns, bows, and arrows.
The first incident was reported on August 2, 2021 when three men armed with guns jumped over the hospital fence into the hospital compound causing a stampede.
On September 15, four armed men were seen cleaning their guns behind the hospital mortuary and on alerting police, they fled.
On September 29, the three armed men were again seen hiding around the staff quarters at around 9pm.
On September 31, the very people beat up one of the nurses who was going for the night duty and was warned never to reveal it to anyone.
On October 13, a nurse on a night duty encountered a man with an AK47 rifle in the toilets at the outpatient department where she had gone to ease herself.
He reportedly grabbed her and covered her mouth not to make an alarm and warned her never to reveal it since she’s not the target.
On Friday morning, the Daily Monitor visited the hospital and found out that no nurse had worked on Thursday night due to the worrying situation at the hospital.
Ms Betty Nakiru, a mother attending to her sick child said that as patients, they are also not safe.
Mr Amos Oboke, the hospital’s principal administrator said that the general security situation is terrible.
“Everyone working at the hospital is scared. We have failed to understand the motive of these armed men and we have written letters to the security agencies for action,” he said.
Mr Oboke, said that no medical personnel is willing to come out of his/her house to go for a night duty because they all fear for their lives.
Dr Ben Wamton, the hospital director said that some of the medics have started abandoning the hospital.
“We already have a personnel gap and those who had accepted to work in hospitals in Karamoja are going away fearing for their lives, so we really don’t know what to do,” he noted.
Mr Michael Longole, the Karamoja regional police spokesperson confirmed that the hospital management had written to them about the gunmen loitering around the hospital premises, assuring that general inquiries are ongoing to establish these people’s motive.
