Parliament’s Covid19 taskforce has identified lack of ambulances and late diagnosis as the major frustrations met by Toro’s Covid-19 response teams.
The taskforce’s Western Uganda team is combing through the districts of Hoima, Kabarole and Fort Portal City, in an oversight visit intended to apprise Parliament on the impact of funds allocated to the Covid-19 fight.
Solomon Asiimwe, the acting District Health Officer, Fort Portal, said there are some supporting drugs they do not always have in plenty, coupled with only one ambulance, shortages that lead to delayed referrals hence fatalities.
“The other drugs most times are not there for instance Vitamin D, Amoxyline caps; we also don’t have an ambulance,” he said.
Dr Alex Adaku said late diagnosis is his major problem.
“People are coming late for treatment, which tends to increase the number of deaths; the referral system is a bit poor, people seek for treatment randomly yet they could be helped at lower health facilities.
Cries for unpaid allowances seems to have plateaued in Bunyoro, with complaints streaming in from Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, whose Director Dr Peter Mikobi said his facility has Shs270m in arrears all the way from November 2020.
The Ministry of Finance is coming to their rescue with Shs575m for the quarter, which he believes will help him stabilise their finances a little bit.
The team will visit Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kasese.
The team is led by Dr Joseph Ruyonga (NRM, Hoima West), who urged the hospitals to intensify outreaches that preach prevention.
“Covid-19 is very expensive to treat; the only way to avoid it is prevention. We talked to the Finance Minister, Hon Matia Kasaija to find money for vaccines,”
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