TORORO – Tororo district is investigating allegations of extortion and harassment of patients by some health workers.
The authorities say the investigation follows a public outcry about medical workers asking patients for money in Tororo General Hospital.
Tororo district LC5 chairperson, John Okeya said: “We are responding to numerous public outcries against health staff of the district hospital in a clean-up operation.”
“It is sad to note that extortion and absenteeism in government health facilities is scaring away communities from going to the health facilities to access health services,” Okeya said.
Okeya made the remarks while addressing medical workers of Tororo General Hospital on Tuesday.
“The medical workers at the hospital are neglecting their duties, leaving it to the intern students which is contrary to government policy. Medical workers should develop a sense of shame in asking for money from patients in exchange for services in government health facilities,” he said.
According to him, extortion is mainly rampant in the theatre, dental section.
“Patients are asked to pay for every service they want to access,” he said.
The meeting comes three days after the LC5 chairperson paid an impromptu visit to the district hospital at around 7 pm and found out that all the medical workers who were designated to be on night duty were not there, leaving patients at the mercy of interns.
“Am made to understand that expectant mothers are charged between Shs 200,000 to Shs 300,000 for Cesarean section and they are asked to pay not less than Shs 30,000 if they deliver normally,” he said.
“Let me tell you that some of you don’t know why you are living miserable lives. There is no way you can extort money from a poor person and expect to become richer and live a happy life,” he advised.
The District Secretary for health and education Mr. Noah Okumu said medical workers are making people’s life hard.
He also identified tribalism to be among the vices hindering service delivery in the hospital.
Molly Cheria, the district secretary for works and technical services, said she witnessed a situation where a mother was asked to surrender Shs 1,000 before accessing services.
“But because she didn’t have it, she was not served and she was forced back. There is rampant extortion in the hospital. Patients are forced to pay for every service,” Cheria said.
She added that “I fell a victim when I was asked for airtime to enable calling a doctor who was supposed to be on duty. The problem is that it is hard-to-get people willing to testify against extortionists as they fear being targeted by medical workers in the district hospital.”
She identified other illegal charges being money for airtime, fuelling of ambulances in case of referral, and removal of decayed teeth where one is charged over Shs 20,000 to remove a tooth.
The Chief Administrative Officer [CAO], Dunstan Balaba, confirmed the allegations, saying his office has also received the same complaints.
He said his office is gathering evidence to pin the accused to base on if disciplinary action is to be subjected to them. We are going to handle this vice with an Iron hand,” he made an assurance.
He said there is a need to use scouts to help expose corrupt health workers.
He said as part of the efforts, the district top management has planned to do an overhaul transfer of all staff to break through the created network by errant medical workers.
“We have overstayed in one duty station and considered themselves kings,” he said.
The chairperson of the hospital management board Peter Ekikina, challenged the district to allocate resources towards the installation of CCTV cameras as one way to fight the vice.
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