A crisis meeting was convened on Monday afternoon at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital (KRRH) following a series of attacks on four intern doctors. These dedicated healthcare professionals, who had eagerly joined the hospital to serve the community, found themselves under threat as they were targeted by criminals while residing in rented accommodations away from the hospital premises.
Desperate for a solution to their security woes, the intern doctors reached out to Kabale’s Resident District Commissioner, Godfrey Nyakahuma, seeking clarity on the status of an intern housing project that had been completed but not handed over to the hospital administration by the contractor. This delay had forced the interns to seek alternative housing options, leaving them vulnerable to these unfortunate attacks.
Dr. Osinde Ochieng, the Head of Interns at KRRH, expressed his anguish during the crisis meeting, revealing that the attacks had occurred just three weeks after the interns had reported to the hospital. Valuables, including laptops, had been stolen, and their sense of safety shattered.
“We are frightened. Our colleagues have been attacked, their property stolen. We are lucky that none of us has lost their life, but this shouldn’t be happening,” said Dr. Ochieng. “This affects the way we serve because it comes to late at night, and you wonder how you will travel back to your rented place. You are treating a patient, but you’re thinking about leaving home, whether your house is safe. Whether some thugs are waiting to attack you along the way, whether you will be safe that night you’re traveling to your rented place.”
It’s worth noting that last month, the government dispatched a team of 41 medical interns to the hospital, potentially occupying the vacant hostel. However, due to the unresolved issue of the intern doctors’ housing, they have resorted to renting outside the hospital premises.
Dr. Rodney Tabaruka, a senior pharmacist at KRRH, acknowledged the legitimacy of the issues raised by the intern doctors and expressed optimism that a resolution would be reached swiftly.
Meanwhile, Godfrey Nyakahuma, the Resident District Commissioner for Kabale, voiced his concern about the delay in the hospital obtaining the intern doctors’ accommodation. He revealed that the hospital director, Dr Filbert Nyeko, had traveled to Kampala to meet with Ministry of Health authorities to address similar issues, hoping for a swift resolution. He also hinted at the possibility of escalating the matter to the presidency, calling for an inter-ministerial meeting involving the Ministry of Presidency, Ministry of Security, and Ministry of Health to resolve this issue once and for all.
The construction company responsible for the intern doctors’ housing, Musuuza Building Contractors Limited, declined to hand over the completed premises due to outstanding expenditures totaling Shs 790 million. These additional costs were incurred during construction, and the hostel, valued at Shs 7.8 billion, had received funding from the government through the Ministry of Health. Construction, which began in May 2017, was initially set to conclude on June 3 of the previous year.
This nearly finished facility aims to alleviate accommodation challenges faced by health workers and medical interns, featuring apartments, a recreational center, a multi-purpose center, and a grocery center.
Musuuza Building Contractors explained that due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 lockdown, work had come to a standstill, and all relevant authorities were duly informed. The company asserted that until the government settles the outstanding amount, they would not hand over the completed structure.
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