Africa-Press – Uganda. When this reporter visited the wards at the facility on Wednesday, there were only three babies admitted to the children’s ward, while in the men’s ward, there were only four patients
The number of patients seeking treatment and other medical services at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital has reduced drastically, the authorities have said.
Although Ms Martha Ayikoru, the acting hospital director, did not give previous or current figures of patients who seek services at the facility, she admitted there is a sharp decline in the numbers.
“We don’t know exactly why patients are not coming for treatment, but I think people have Covid-19-scare, especially after rumours went around that the facility was full of Covid-19 patients, coupled with the ban on public transport, which makes it hard for patients to reach here,” Ms Ayikoru told Saturday Monitor in an interview on Thursday.
A medical worker at the hospital outpatient department, who preferred not to be named in order to speak freely, said they used to register at least 300 patients at his department a day, but said they now receive less than 100 patients daily.
“You know the situation in the country, people fear to come here for treatment because they think they will contract Covid-19, which is not true,” the medical worker said.
When this reporter visited the wards at the facility on Wednesday, there were only three babies admitted to the children’s ward, while in the men’s ward, there were only four patients.
Previously, in the children’s ward, all beds would be occupied, with some patients sleeping on the floor.
Ms Ayikoru warned politicians, whom she accused of being behind the rumours about the hospital, to stop it immediately.
“I want to appeal to our people not to listen to rumours that the facility is full of Covid-19 patients,” she added.
Even before the hospital was elevated to a regional referral facility last year, it was serving the neighbouring districts of Kamuli, Mukono, Luweero, Nakasongola and Buikwe.
The facility, which was renovated and expanded, now has 200 beds.
There are plans by the Ministry of Health to open a Covid -19 treatment centre at the hospital, which is currently ill-equipped to treat Covid-19.
Dr Olive Busingye, the Kayunga deputy district health officer, said the Health ministry would soon start a regional Covid-19 treatment centre at the facility.
On June 18, President Museveni declared a second lockdown, shutting down major sectors of the economy after Covid-19 infections grossed 1,300 and deaths surged.
Both public and private transport, as well as busy shopping centres in major towns and cities where hundreds eke out a living, were closed.
About Kayunga Hospital
Kayunga hospital was constructed in the 1970s and the facility has recently benefited from a major renovation and expansion programme, which saw it being elevated to a regional referral hospital.
The Shs70b project enabled the facility to get additional units, including an accident and emergency unit, physiotherapy and gym unit, private out-patient department and wards, kitchen and laundry, isolation wards, maintenance and workshop, hostels for intern doctors and quarters for nurses. Previously, residents had been forced to travel to Kawolo Hospital in Buikwe District and Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, which is about 55 kilometres away, to seek treatment.
