MASINDI’S BWIJANGA HEALTH IV RUNS WITHOUT CAESEREAN SECTION MATERIALS FOR SIX MONTHS

By Yosam Gucwaki

in Masindi—
Bwijanga health Centre IV in Bwijanga sub county Masindi dist
rict has
run out of caesarean materials for now for six weeks.
A Dr. working with Bwijanga health Centre IV who preferred anonymity
explains that his work is incapacitated due to  lack of materials to
use saying that now they are just carrying out referrals to Masindi
Hospital or Hoima referral hospital something he says patients cannot
afford.
He adds that they are lacking materials like sutures, Linen,
Disinfectants and liquid soap which are of great importance while
carrying out an operation.
He adds that each suture costs 25,000 shillings explaining that it
requires eight sutures if a woman under goes a caesarean section.
A patient at Bwijanga health Centre IV who also preferred anonymity
also reveals that it is costly noting some mothers have died  while
being referred to other hospitals adding that even some people cannot
afford to buy fuel for the ambulance.
Sound byte patient 1 from Bwijanga HCIV
Another patient also who declined to mentioned explains that they are
being told to buy sutures from private clinics noting that they are
expensive to them because they buy them at a cost of 150,000 and
200,000 shillings the amount she says they cannot afford.
Sound byte patient 2 from Bwijanga HCIV
Dr John Turyagaruka, the district health officer Masindi, says that it
is true the problem is existing and attributed it to the suppliers
adding that as a district they are doing the required to rectify the
problem.

Masindi main hospital has for the last one month also been lacking
sutures but they were supplied six days ago. Dr. Bateganya the medical
superintendent explains that if a patient is asked for sutures in
Masindi main hospital will be a crime.
He also said authorities in Bwijanga health Centre IV can write to
them requesting for assistance suture noting that though it is not
their mandate to supply Bwijanga health Centre IV with materials.

Bateganya adds that in Masindi main hospital, they have again run out
of mama kits for the delivering mothers for the last two weeks calling
upon husbands to ensure that they provide their wives with mama kits
but not to wait for government.