Hello

Your subscription is almost coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the great content on Nation.Africa

Ready to continue your informative journey with us?

Hello

Your premium access has ended, but the best of Nation.Africa is still within reach. Renew now to unlock exclusive stories and in-depth features.

Reclaim your full access. Click below to renew.

How artist’s death exposed rot at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital

The circumstances surrounding Kigambo's death have raised serious concerns about the state of healthcare at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, with calls for accountability and improved service delivery growing louder in the community. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA
 

What you need to know:

  • In 2024, the president directed the Ministry of Public Service to reprimand doctors on government payroll who moonlight in private health facilities, absenting themselves from duty, yet they draw salaries from the government. During a public dialogue held on January 10, 2025 in Fort Portal City, residents indicated that they were being grossly underserved by Fort Portal Hospital due to doctors’ neglect. Some decried the extortionist tendencies of the medical workers, as Alex Ashaba writes. 

On the evening of January 4, at around 8pm, social media in Fort Portal City, Kabarole District, was awash with news of the passing of Moses Kigambo Araali, a renowned artist in the Tooro sub-region. Kigambo, who was 47, breathed his last at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital.

For over two decades, Kigambo serenaded the sub-region with his compositions that he performed at various functions in a wheelchair. His songs had cultural, political, and leadership themes. The father of five was laid to rest on January 8, at his ancestral home in Kyenjojo district.

However, his death left friends, political figures, artists, family members, and religious leaders with unanswered questions. Allegations of negligence by health workers at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital sparked widespread outrage, with many believing Kigambo’s death could have been prevented.

One of Kigambo’s caretakers, who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity, revealed that earlier on January 4, before his condition worsened, the artist had checked himself into Sarah Clinic, a private medical facility in the city.

“His condition deteriorated at the clinic and he was referred to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. He was first attended to in the outpatient department (OPD) and later taken to the ward, where he was supposed to undergo an operation for an intestinal obstruction,” she says.

However, Kigambo was not taken to the theater. When his caretakers inquired about the delay, they allege that they were informed that the equipment needed for the surgery had not been cleaned. They were further informed that the operation would be carried out the next day. Kigambo remained in the ward until he passed away.

Pastor Ronald Musinguzi, a close family friend of the deceased, says at around 5pm, he received a distress call from Kigambo’s son regarding his father’s deteriorating condition.

“I found him in severe pain, complaining of stomach complications. He was crying like a child. I went to look for the doctors and found some of them seated inside the facility. They told me no one had washed the equipment in the theater,” he says. 

In the aftermath of the artist’s death, Musinguzi recorded and posted a video on TikTok, a popular video hosting service, highlighting what he described as negligence by the health workers, a claim that has since ignited widespread criticism of the hospital’s operations.

Some of the concerned citizens from Fort Portal City presenting their petition to the permanent secretary ministry of health at Booma playgrounds in Fort Portal City on January 10, 2025 . PHOTO/ ALEX ASHABA

Sick hospital
The circumstances surrounding Kigambo’s death have raised serious concerns about the state of healthcare at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, with calls for accountability and improved service delivery growing louder in the community. On January 5, hospital authorities held a press conference, refuting allegations that Kigambo's death was a result of neglect by their staff.

Dr Lauben Amagara Kyomukama, from the Department of Surgery, clarified that Kigambo was diagnosed with intestinal obstruction and was unstable when admitted.

“The doctors on duty attended to him immediately by administering intravenous (IV) fluids and then, they informed the theatre team about his condition. However, we could not take him into the theatre because he was not stable enough for surgery. Unfortunately, despite our efforts to stabilise him, he passed away. We informed his family about the circumstances,” he said.

Despite the hospital’s explanations, several people have reported similar incidents at the facility, where alleged negligence by health workers has resulted in fatalities. Abdulhadi Abudalla, the chairperson of the Mugunu-Kisenyi Muslim community, says his son, Sharif Abudalla, who was involved in a road crash at 10am on November 13 last year, died after doctors declined to operate on him.

"When I received the call informing me about the accident, I rushed to the hospital and found my son in the OPD. The nurses on duty informed me that he needed to be taken to the theatre for an operation within the hour. They handed me a checklist of drugs that the hospital did not have, instructing me to purchase them at a private pharmacy,” he says.

Abudalla rushed to the pharmacy and bought the medication worth Shs50,000. However, upon his return to the hospital, he could not find a doctor. 

“The nurses kept calling him on his mobile phone and he promised that he was on his way. They refused to give me his contact so that I could speak to him directly. By 3pm, my child had still not been attended to. He lay in the theatre, surrounded by intern students, his intestines exposed. He passed away at 4pm,” the distraught father recounts.

Abudalla says the hospital director promised to address the matter the following day, but no action has been taken to date.

Some of the health workers at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hoapital attending the meeting on January 10, 2025. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA

Margret Sanyu, also a resident of Fort Portal City, laments the extortionist tendencies of the health workers at the referral facility. In 2023, she slipped inside her poultry house and broke her right arm. She was referred to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.

“One of the doctors openly demanded Shs100,000 before dressing my fractured arm in a plaster. I paid the money because I was in severe pain. He told me to come back after one month for review. When I returned, I assumed I would not have to pay again, but to my surprise, the same doctor demanded Shs100,000 before checking my arm,” she says.

Despite receiving treatment, Sanyu says the fracture failed to heal and she has since become disabled. Looking at her with pity, the same doctor advised her to seek treatment at Kilembe Hospital in Kasese district, a lower-tier hospital.

"I cannot hold anything with my hand now. I am now entirely dependent on my husband to prepare food for the family and wash clothes. All I can do is breastfeed my baby. I need help to afford better treatment,” she laments.

Patrick Kamukama has also faced the fatal consequences of the hospital’s poor service delivery. On July 13 last year, he brought his 12-year-old son, Vian Arinaitwe, to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. The boy was suffering from a lung complication, but his treatment was delayed.

“The doctors kept asking me to buy specific drugs from pharmacies outside the hospital. Whenever I brought the drugs, they would say that particular medication was not what they needed and would send me back to buy another type of medication. I suspect they were doing this because I did not bribe them,” he says. 

As his son’s condition deteriorated, Kamukama decided to take him to Virika Hospital, a private facility, where he was declared dead on arrival.

“I had spent Shs800,000 on buying different drugs. After my son’s death, I reported the matter to Fort Portal Central Police Station and the ward-in-charge was summoned. However, the police told me that their investigations had concluded that the health worker had no case to answer,” he explains.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine speaking during a public dialogue at Booma playground in Fort Portal City on January 10, 2025. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA

Seeking answers
On January 10, 2025, a group of concerned citizens from Fort Portal City, under the Save Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital campaign, petitioned Dr Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health. In their petition, the group accused the hospital’s director, Dr Alex Adaku, of absenteeism and failing to establish effective internal control systems. 

They claimed this lack of leadership had led to widespread absenteeism, extortion, bribery, corruption, arrogance, impunity, and instances of intoxication while on duty. The petitioners demanded Dr Adaku’s immediate transfer.

“Dr Adaku’s background is concerning, as he was dismissed from Arua (Regional Referral Hospital) due to allegations of incompetence. Additionally, he was named in the Daily Monitor on March 30, 2022, as one of the ineligible accounting officers recommended by the Inspector General of Government to be removed from government service (sic),” the petition reads in part.

Joseph Mashuhuku, one of the petitioners, says the hospital suffers from a shortage of doctors. Those available are either on study leave or have abandoned their posts but continue to receive government salaries. This has left patients at the mercy of unsupervised intern doctors.

“This has caused preventable deaths. Some doctors have been at the facility for over 20 years. They run private clinics where they spend most of their time, neglecting their duties at the hospital. These doctors admit patients to their private clinics, charge them highly and then use the hospital’s facilities for surgeries and treatments. Meanwhile, the hospital patients are left without care,” he says.

He further claims that some drugs used in private clinics are government supplies from the hospital. The petitioners also noted that the hospital has a non-functional Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which was fully equipped by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Patients pay Shs120,000 for CT scans because the hospital’s scan lacks a trained radiologist to operate it. Only those patients with smartphones can receive their results and only in soft copy,” the petition stated.

The group also appealed to the health ministry to recruit and deploy specialists such as ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, physicians, neurosurgeons, and orthopedic specialists to save patients from traveling long distances to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.

In addition to personnel, they called for the procurement and installation of essential medical equipment, including an X-ray endoscope machine, dialysis machine, diathermy machine, endoscopic tower, neurosurgical set, orthopedic sets, urology equipment, and a laparoscopy tower among others.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, (left) with other officials inspecting Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital on January 10, 2025. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA

Proposed remedies 
On January 10, Dr Atwine convened a public dialogue in Fort Portal City to address the root causes of the hospital’s poor service delivery. Before the public dialogue, she had held a closed-door meeting with the hospital’s staff. Some workers, who preferred anonymity, told this publication that during the meeting, it was decided that those who had worked at the facility for more than five years would be transferred to other facilities across the country.

Using her X-handle shortly after the meeting, Dr Atwine listed some of the challenges she found at the facility including absenteeism, as many health workers are engaged in private clinics but unwilling to vacate government positions for those willing to serve. Other issues included negligence and gross extortion.

“In response, we have taken immediate action by transferring a number of health workers and initiating disciplinary measures. However, the transfer process alone does not address the root cause of the problem-it merely shifts the issue. The current procedures for disciplining permanent and pensionable staff are lengthy, cumbersome, and ineffective. To ensure accountability, there is a critical need to amend the standing orders,” she wrote.

During the public dialogue at Booma playground, the permanent secretary apologised for the death of Moses Kigambo. She assured attendees of the ministry’s commitment to addressing the circumstances surrounding the artist’s death. She also encouraged Pastor Musinguzi to serve as the main complainant.

“We have medical and nurses’ councils that handle such complaints. We will provide you with the necessary contacts so you can call and be guided. There must be an avenue for people to know how to lodge complaints. We do not want to see any politician coming to our offices to plead for any staff who will be transferred. I know some had become untouchable here and were even operating large clinics in town, but we have made our decision,” Dr. Atwine stated.

To improve accountability, Dr. Atwine said all regional referral hospitals have introduced a quick-response (QR) code and called for patients to be sensitised on how to use it to lodge complaints about poor service delivery.

“The QR system will enable the ministry to track and investigate reported cases. When you provide your contact information, we will call you to formally present your complaint to the medical council to enable investigations. The Ministry of Health is also drafting new standing orders which will be finalised by June. If a health worker is caught in the wrong, they will be dismissed immediately. The current standing orders are too lengthy, delaying action.” she intimated.

During the dialogue, Margret Muhanga, the state minister in charge of Primary Health Care, who also serves as the member of parliament (MP)for the city’s North Division, was puzzled that people complain of drug shortages at the hospital, yet lower facilities never run out of drugs.

“We have done our best, as MPs from this region, to ensure that the facility is well-equipped. However, it shocked me to hear that patients seeking treatment there are often referred to lower facilities like Bukuku Health Center IV. Recently, my nephew was thrown out of a bed because he could not pay Shs150,000,” she said.

Muhanga says when she entered the male ward to assist her nephew, a health worker began abusing her, only stopping when he realised that she was a minister.

The authorities in Fort Portal City have distanced themselves from the hospital’s actions, saying they do not have representation on the hospital’s management board.

“As leaders, we have failed to monitor and supervise the hospital due to a lack of representation on its management board, despite the facility being located within the city. People complain that when they ask doctors for any service, they are told the equipment is not functioning. But when they pay money, the machines suddenly start working,” Edison Asaba Ruyonga, the city’s mayor, says. 

Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital serves at least three million people in the catchment area of Ntoroko, Bundibugyo, Kasese, Bunyangabu, Kabarole, Kitagwenda, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa, and Kyenjojo districts.

General Manager Editorial Daniel Kalinaki Ag Managing Editor NMG-U Allan Chekwech Editor Sustainability Hub Gillian Nantume
Features Editor Caesar Abangirah Healthy Living Editor Victoria Kyolaba Namatovu Layout Jacob Kayigwa Gonza Cover photo Courtesy
Contributors Dr Vincent Karuhanga, Alex Ashaba, Gloria Irankunda.

Produced by Nation Media Group in partnership with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation