By Steven Enatu
SOROTI CITY
The State Minister In charge Teso Affairs in the office of the Prime Minister Dr. Kelement Ongalo Obote has handed over a cheque worth 600million to management of Soroti Regional referral hospital to purchase an x-ray machine.
Ongalo handed over the dummy cheque yesterday, 18th May, 2022 in a ceremony attended by all the Soroti City MPs.
A dummy cheque is a symbolic representation of what the hospital has received in the bank account for the purchase of the X-ray machine.
Private health facilities in Soroti City were reaping big from patients in need of X- ray and ultra-sound scan services. This follows the breakdown of the X-ray machine at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital for over two years now.
The situation had forced medics in the hospital to refer patients to nearby private facilities where they are charged between Shillings 25,000 and 50,000 for X-ray and ultra-sound scan services.
Dr. Dr. Ben Wakmon hospital director said that the money that was initially allocated to expand the pediatric ward with the highest admission of 30 to 40 patients a day in the hospital had to be prioritized for the x-ray machine to meet the social demand of the patients.
“Yes the admission is high in the pediatric ward even if the bed capacity is small but this money had to be prioritized on the basis of the community demand. That is the genesis for reallocation of this money and I can assure you that the mission for construction of a pediatric ward is on and by next year we shall commence,” he said.
He said the technocrats have recommended that the 600 million can purchase an x-ray machine which will provide services to the patients.
“There are categories, there are specifications, and with the money we have the technocrats have assessed that we can get something good for the people. Given the volume, if funds were available, one would go for a bigger ideal machine,” he stressed.
Soroti regional referral hospital receives an average number of 270 patients in the out-patients department, 15% of which may require x-ray services whereas in-patients are 280 in average and more than 10% require x-ray services daily.
“Our emergency unit sees on average 40 people and many of them are trauma cases with need for x-ray” Dr. Wakmon noted.
Dr. Wakmon noted that the procurement process will start its work and having the entire work of installing the new X-ray will take three months from now.
Meldah Apio a 66 year old from Ochuloi Sub County with a grandson in the pediatric ward said that the development shall save time and money they spend on transport and X-ray service in Mbale.
She said her grandson fell from a Mango tree and they brought him to Soroti regional referral hospital but were referred to Mbale for x- ray services where they paid 500,000shs.
John Michael Opolot, a patient caretaker at the facility said that the development is a big sigh of relief to the patients.
“It’s been a big challenge for us caretakers of patients, when they tell you that you need x-ray service. It’s hard, maybe you don’t have a means to even go to Mbale or money to a private facility. It becomes very challenging and if this is put in place, it will save us from being helped immediately” he said.
Member of Parliament Soroti City West, Hon. Jonathan Ebwalu tasked the hospital management to make sure they procure equipment worth 600million.
“I want to appeal to the people who are going to buy this equipment that lets procure something worth this money. I know we can get machines in Kampala for less than that money but we are going to monitor, should we find that the hospital has procured what is under this money, we shall arrest you the director” he noted.
Ebwalu also reiterated the need for CT scan at the facility which according to him is affordable by the ministry of health.
“We cannot have our people referred to Mbale to a private hospital for a CT scan, how can a private hospital have a CT scan and the whole regional referral hospital of the government doesn’t?” the MP wondered.
The Soroti City Woman MP, Joan Alobo Achom said that the government has allocated a budget for CT scan to Soroti Regional referral hospital out of the 5 regional referral hospitals.
Dr. Kelement Ongalo, the State Minister in charge of Teso Affairs in the office of the Prime Minister said that money is already in the Hospital Bank account.
“Originally this money was meant for the pediatric ward then I was told you needed this money more urgently to purchase an X ray machine and I had to append my signature to validate that change. My goal is to let the public know that we have given you the money” he said.
