KISORO DISTRICT RUNS OUT OF MEDICINES, PATIENTS STRANDED

By Libino Byamukama
KISORO DISTRICT

Hundreds of patients are stranded without medicine at Kisoro district hospital after the facility ran out of drugs. Kisoro hospital medical superintendent Dr. Rukunda Karekezi Benon confirmed the development saying the situation has prompted the hospital management to advise patients to buy drugs elsewhere.

Dr. Rukunda Karekezi Benon told our reporter that Kisoro hospital was supposed to receive second drug consignment on 21st October 2022 from National medical stores (NMS) but the supply has delayed. He however said that they are hoping to get supplies from NMS within this week.

He said that health workers at Kisoro hospital are just giving expertise at professionals to patients and when it comes to medicines and supply, they refer them to private clinics. He attributed the drug stock out at Kisoro hospital to influx of refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our reporter visited Kisoro hospital this evening and found some patients from humble backgrounds stranded at the facility. They told our reporter that health workers at Kisoro hospital diagnosed their diseases and advised them to buy drugs from private clinics. Most of them said that they don’t have money and cannot afford services at private health facilities and asked government to help them and deliver drugs in time.

Kisoro hospital is the only public district referral hospital and it receives more than 200 patients on a daily basis. It receives patients from Kisoro, Rubanda as well as from DR Congo and Rwanda.

Public relations officer at National Medical stores Sheilah Nduhukire promised to follow the matter. Ends