The health workers in the maternity at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital are on the spot for failing to account for 1200 mama kits delivered by the National Medical Stores-NMS.
According to reliable sources, in April this year, NMS delivered more than 20,000 mama kits to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for distribution to mothers delivering at the facility.
However, it is now emerging that the hospital has failed to account for several mama kits. Apparently, health workers ask the majority of mothers who visit the facility for delivery to either come with their own mama kits or pay for them at the hospital.
Dr. Brian Arinitwe, the Assistant Director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, says that their investigations conducted mid-this month proved that 1200 out of the 20,000 mama kits supplied by NMS are uncounted for. Arinitwe says that they intervened after receiving several complaints from whistleblowers.
He explains that the maternity ward in charge, Annet Nayiga completely failed to explain the whereabouts of the missing mama kits. Dr. Arinitwe says that the disappearance of such a huge number of mama kits is a very big problem for the mothers.
Immaculate Karani, a mother from Kabale municipality testifies that she recently went to the hospital for delivery and health workers asked her to produce her own mama kit. Karani says that she did not mind because it is a known trend at the hospital that each expectant mother has to produce her own mama kit during delivery.
Patience Kesande, another mother from Kabale municipality, says that she also recently escorted her daughter for delivery at the hospital. She, however, says that upon arrival at the hospital, health workers asked her to hand over mama kits.
She, however, says that even after handing over the mama kit, she was surprised when the health workers only handed the mother a polythene paper.
Nayiga insists that she often provides the mothers the mama kits. She, however, noted that she didnt know that she is required to record all the mama kits distributed to the mothers for accountability purposes.
Each mama kit contains plastic sheeting, razor blades, cotton wool, gauze pad, soap, surgical gloves, exam gloves, cord ties, and a child health card.
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