Members of Parliament sitting in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were left in disbelief when it was revealed that Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, a key urban healthcare facility, does not possess a single delivery bed.
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The disturbing revelation was made during a PAC session on Tuesday, where hospital officials appeared to address issues highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2023.Leading the hospital delegation, Dr. John Bosco Nsubuga, the Acting Director, and Richard Tumwesigye, the Senior Hospital Administrator, faced a barrage of questions from shocked MPs.
The committee's Deputy Chairperson, Hon. Gorreth Namugga, expressed profound concern over the findings, emphasizing the gravity of the situation given the hospital's urban location and high patient load.
"The fact that a regional referral hospital does not have a single delivery bed is utterly unacceptable. This is a dire situation that urgently needs addressing," said Hon. Namugga.
The Auditor General’s report revealed that Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital’s maternity ward operates without delivery beds, relying instead on surgical recovery beds to manage an average of 20 deliveries per day.Further compounding the issue, the hospital has only two incubators for premature babies, a critical shortage that significantly impacts neonatal care.
"The shortage of incubators is a clear risk to the quality of healthcare and contributes to preventable child mortality," noted the Auditor General.
The hospital delivers an average of 650 women each month, totaling approximately 4,287 deliveries annually. Despite this high demand, the facility is severely underfunded, with a budget ceiling of around Shs200 million, insufficient to procure new medical equipment or carry out necessary repairs.
The Auditor General highlighted the systemic underfunding as a core issue preventing the acquisition of essential maternity infrastructure.Ibanda County North MP, Hon. Xavier Kyooma, emphasized that while the government is responsible for procuring medical equipment, it is incumbent upon hospital leadership to demonstrate and communicate their needs effectively.
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He challenged the hospital officials to provide documentation showing their efforts to request additional resources from the Ministry of Health.
In response, Tumwesigye explained that the hospital's role as a COVID-19 treatment center during the pandemic led to the extensive use of corrosive chemicals for disinfection, which damaged many pieces of equipment, including the delivery beds. However, this explanation did little to assuage the committee's concerns.
"The issue of equipment damage due to COVID-19 measures is understandable to some extent, but it underscores the need for proper maintenance and timely replacement of critical medical equipment," said Hon. Kyooma.
The PAC has called for immediate action to address these alarming deficiencies.
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The committee urged the Ministry of Health to prioritize funding and resource allocation to Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital to ensure it can adequately serve its patient population and uphold the standards of healthcare expected of a regional referral facility.
