Africa-Press – Uganda. Government health facilities in Adjumani District are facing a shortage of drugs, with patients now compelled to seek services in costlier private facilities.
Dr Michael Ambaku, the Adjumani hospital medical superintendent, on Monday said: “The hospital last received a consignment of drugs and other medical supplies in September 2021. We cannot perform any miracle in the hospital in the absence of drugs and other medical supplies, the only thing we do is the diagnosis and we refer patients to private pharmacies.”
He added called upon the Health ministry to urgently resolve the problem, saying: “The hospital management has been asking for drugs from health development partners but the begging cannot go on indefinitely since these partners are also struggling.”
When Daily Monitor visited the 100-bed hospital on Monday, only 15 percent of hospital beds were occupied while the outpatient department was nearly deserted.
Ms Angela Bunia, 65, who said she had spent two weeks in a ward at the hospital after being diagnosed with malaria and skin complications, added that she had been buying drugs from pharmacies outside the facility.
“I have no hope that I will recover quickly because I cannot afford the money to buy the drugs in time and that has slowed my recovery. I have also exhausted what I had saved (Shs100,000) to buy antibiotics and antimalarial drugs,” she said.
Although the hospital’s surgical ward has been busy in the past due to the influx of refugees, all its beds were empty on Monday.
The situation is similar in lower health centres across the district such as Pakele Health Centre III, Mungula Health Centre IV, and Dzaipi Health Centre III, among others.
The district health officer, Dr Dominic Drametu, said: “The population of the district, including the refugees, is in crisis, the district has been surviving on support from [several partners], and the UN refugee agency, if it wasn’t for their support, Adjumani would have been in trouble. As a government, we should have done better.”
The district disbursed Shs214m to the hospital and another Shs90m to lower-level health units for drugs but they have not yet been delivered.
Mr Ben Anyama, the district chairman, said he had instructed the district secretary of health to liaise with the technical officers to make an emergency assessment of the situation.
“I want to appeal to the drug shop owners and the business community not to take advantage of the shortage of drugs in facilities to overcharge the patients, we are following up the situation with the Ministry of Health and National Medical Stores,” Mr Anyama said.
However, the NMS spokesperson, Ms Sheila Nduhukire, yesterday told Daily Monitor that medicines and other supplies were dispatched to Adjumani District yesterday morning.
“NMS has dispatched trip 18,187 for cycles two and three, with essential medicines and health supplies for Adjumani,” Ms Nduhukire said.
In a January 10 letter to all medical superintendents, chief administrative officers, and district health officers, the NMS General Manger, Mr Moses Kamabare, blamed the drug stock-out on Covid-19.
“Due to the unforeseen Covid-19 related challenges that necessitated prioritisation and fastened delivery of the Covid-19 related supplies across the country, among other factors, our planned cycle deliveries for the financial year 2021/2022 as per our earlier shared delivery schedule have henceforth been disrupted,” the letter reads in part.
“In a bid to catch up with the lost delivery timelines as per our delivery schedule, NMS will be effecting a combined delivery of cycle 4 and 5 supplies to all facilities in one go across the country,” the letter adds.
According to the letter, Adjumani is among districts set to receive medical supplies under the 4th schedule (dispatched in February).
Other districts under the same schedule include Agago, Alebtong, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Dokolo, Gulu, Kitgum, Koboko, Kole, Kwania, Lamwo, Lira Luwero, Madi-Okolo, Maracha, Moyo, Nakasongola, Nebbi, Nwoya, Obongi, Omoro, Otuke, Oyam, Pader, Pakwach, Terego, Yumbe, and Zombo.
Adjumani has one general referral hospital, a health centre IV, and 43 lower level health units serving a population of 224,044 refugees mainly from South Sudan and a host population of 237,400.
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