Six ICU beds for Covid-19 care idle at Gulu hospital

The Six ICU beds lying idle at the conference hall of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. The hospital administrators say they are yet to find space for their installation. PHOTO/ MARTIN OKUDI.

What you need to know:

  • Each of the six ICU beds that are currently stored at the conference hall of the hospital were accompanied by a ventilator to aid breathing for patients, oxygen supply systems and other specialised systems.

Six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds delivered to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital by the Ministry of Health in September have not been installed due to lack of space at the facility.

Each of the six ICU beds that are currently stored at the conference hall of the hospital were accompanied by a ventilator to aid breathing for patients, oxygen supply systems and other specialised systems.

The six ICU beds are among the 143 that the government procured in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Health spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona, to bolster the country’s capacity to care for patients in critical condition.

Officials say the hospital does not have space for the installation of the beds, and the hospital management says they have identified a structure at the premises of Gulu College of Health Science for the installation of the ICU beds but that the building requires refurbishment, which is yet to be executed by the Health ministry. 

On Thursday, Dr Florence Oyella, the acting director of Gulu hospital, said the structure was expected to be renovated under the “push system” by the Ministry of Health. She said she is not aware of the cost of the renovation.

“We have already identified staff who are waiting to be trained but the renovation has not taken place. I fear this may delay installation of the much-needed equipment,” Dr Oyella told Saturday Monitor on Thursday.

Dr Oyella, however, said a team of engineers from the Ministry of Health visited the regional facility three days earlier and assured the management that the equipment would be installed soon.

Although the hospital is implementing home-based care for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients as recommended by the Health ministry due to resource constraints, absence of the beds has made it difficult for effective care delivery to critically ill patients at the facility.

Mr Ainebyona confirmed that the ICU beds are yet to be installed.“We are waiting for the management of the hospital to identify some space (and) once that is done, the technical people will fix the equipment,” he said.

He said Lacor hospital, a privately-owned facility in Gulu City, has been supported with similar equipment and are functional, saying this can help with emergencies in the meantime.

Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the minister of State in charge of Primary Health Care, on Thursday urged the hospital administration to be patient as plans are underway to install the equipment.

“It is not all about installation of the (ICU) beds but we also need specialised health personnel to work at the unit, which is very crucial in health service delivery,” Dr Kaducu said. 

She said the health sector has come a long way to achieve its current status and vital life-saving equipment such as ICU beds would be put to the right use. 

During one of his televised addresses on Covid-19 pandemic, President Museveni said each of the 16 regional referral hospitals in the country would receive 10 beds to provide care and life support for severely ill patients.