Kibuku district health workers accused of being rude

DAVID OMODING

Health workers attached to different health centers in Kibuku District have been accused of being too rude and harsh to their patients something which has paralyzed service delivery in the district.

This vice according to the report has deprived patients their rights to medical care from health facilities as some of the patients have resorted to clinics and traditional birth attendants rather than going to government health facilities.

This shocking revelation was unearthed today during the Civil Society Organization [CSO] advocacy dialogue titled the state of health services in Kibuku district organized by Action Aid-Uganda held at the district headquarters.

The report implicated the midwives of Tirinyi Health Center III of perpetually abusing expectant mothers who go to seek antenatal services at the facility.

The report further accused the dentist of Kibuku Health Center IV for mistreating patients and sometimes asking for money before offering services.

This report is compiled by five CSO which include Actionaid, CSBAG, Kadama Widows Association (KWA)  and FOWODE.

Shiba Namulindwa the programme officer Actionaid said the report was based on community scorecard on how health service delivery can be improved.

Some of the gaps the report noted needed to be addressed  are inadequate staffing, persistent stockouts of essential drugs, inadequacy of maternity wards, absence of youth friendly service, inadequacy of delivery beds, others are staff accommodation, poor attitude of health workers, security and upgrading of some health facilities.

The midwives who preferred anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said they are forced to conduct some deliveries on the bare floor due to the overwhelming number of mothers.

They said delivery beds are weak, old and have outlived the purpose.

Others accused mothers for being unhygienic.

The Kibuku district health officer Dr. Godfrey Buyinza confirmed receiving reports about the rudeness of nurses saying the hospital management and the district has on several occasions warned the accused midwives and the dentist against their unprofessional conduct.

"Actionaid thanks for bringing this up once again. It's true we have tried to talk to the accused officers but they are not reforming we are going to submit their names to the relevant offices for disciplinary action’’ Buyinza said.

Kibuku district has one of the highest concentration of poor people with 46% of its population living below the poverty line.

It has a total population of 207,597 out of which 108950 are females. the percentage of women in the reproductive age category 15-49 is 23.3% .

The ratio of midwives to pregnant women is 1:420, and doctors to population ratio is 1:6,4230 while the average population served by each health unit facility is 15,490 people.