By Steven Enatu
SOROTI
Government has taken steps to relocate and upgrade the facilities at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital following a successful operation on conjoined twins by the local doctors.
This was revealed on Friday 16th April 2021 by the Director Soroti regional referral hospital, Dr. Michael Mwanga during a courtesy visit by the State Minister for Elderly and Disability, Hon. Hajjat Sarah Kanyike.
Dr. Mwanga said that the Ministry of Health has written a letter to Soroti University seeking a 50 hectare piece of land for the facility to be relocated.
This follows the successful story of Soroti medics led by Dr. Epodoi who operated conjoined twins earlier on the 26th March 2021 hence attracting the attention of government to embark on improving the facility.
According to Mwanga, the facility that was started in 1920 and became a referral hospital in 1996 currently bears structures that are over 70 years old. He however noted that there is no infrastructure development ongoing as the facility looks towards shifting to a new site.
He said Soroti District Council has also allocated 19 acres of land for the construction and expansion of the new Soroti Regional Referral Hospital and other commitments from Soroti City but it will depend on the decision by the ministry of health.
“We are having commitments from the office of the Prime Minister for the construction of a pediatric Ward and we are in talks with them to see if they can put up the structure in the new site,” he said.
Soroti regional referral Hospital is one of the 13 public Regional Referral Hospitals in the country with 274-bed capacity serving ten districts with a population of two million people across the Teso Sub Region.
On the 26th March 2021, Soroti medics successfully operated the conjoined twins with already dead and rotting.
Meanwhile, Dr. Florence Alaroker Egwau told this website that the baby was in good condition, breastfeeding and shall be discharged by next week (this week).
“After the operation the baby was 2kgs and lost to 1.7kgs but has now gained weight to 2.2kg. Our major focus now is to see that the baby gains weight” she said.
In her remarks, the Minister commended the hospital for granting the little one the first right to life and urged leaders at different levels to embrace such a heart.
“We need to be very mindful of what impact we have on communities while executing our duties” she said.
