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By Edward Akaki – MOROTO
According to records seen by this reporter, the number of Surgical outpatients seen every month at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital has doubled since April this year. This is also true for mothers who attend Antenatal services at the hospital. The Accident and Emergency Unit received a much needed boost with a 24 hour coverage of an in-house doctor to support the nurses. Previously, doctors were only available on call and this would either completely impede or delay access by patients needing emergency services doctors.
This has been attributed to the provision of medical interns especially in the surgical department that used to have inadequate staffing levels forcing most of the emergency cases to be referred to St. Kizito Hospital, Matany or Soroti Regional Referral Hospital. The department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital has had intern doctors since 2021.
This set of internees now leave the hospital upon completion of their training period with a team of another 8 intern doctors set to arrive today, 5th October, 2022 to start their medical practice according to the hospital director.
According to one of the medics who requested anonymity but working in the Casualty ward, emergency services have improved, patients are attended to promptly and there are no more complaints from the general public instead receiving positive feedback on their performance.
Lomokol Zachery a patient currently at the hospital has been in the Casualty ward for a period of 3 weeks so far and according to him, the service delivery in the time he has spent has been extremely above his expectations given the previous experiences.
He said upon being admitted 3 weeks ago, he almost opted to be referred to St. Kizito Hospital, Matany but the way he was treated from the go made him to change his mind and get the operation on his legs from MRRH.
Recently, Dr. Steven Pande the Director MRRH said, he intends to use all means available including public gatherings to make people own and love the regional referral hospital. He believed that holding public meetings with the community will help bring out their fears for redress.
“We can’t be here earning salaries paid by Ugandans and we don’t give them the best services they deserve,” he said. Something that is paying off as the community is now embracing the services at the hospital, especially in emergency cases.
Dr. Diana Atwine the permanent secretary Ministry of health in her speech during the commissioning of the different new facilities like women hospital, Orthopedics/Radiology, Casualty ward among others in February, 2022 promised to improve the medical intern provisions at the hospital which has lived to pass.
Also, Minister of Health Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng in the same event said the new infrastructures were a step forward to improving the service delivery to the people in Karamoja while promising more development to the hospital in the next 5 years.
Acccording to Dr. Pande, in his adminstration ever since taking office earlier this year, they have increased coverage and scope of works to provide quality and comprehensive services to the Karamoja community.
In addition, the increased working space for example Maternal and child care, casuality, Orthopedics/Radiology,Outpatient Department (OPD) among others that was commissioned by the Minister in February.
He said lack of facilities like blood bank, diagnostics, oxygen plants, low staffing levels among others that used to force the Hospital to refer patients to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Soroti and Matany is now in place and fully functioning thus improving service provision to thecommunity.
The average number of patients seen per month at the Casualty ward/emergency ward has improved from 41 patients to 68 patients since the commissioning of the facility in February.
