Deusdedit Kateregga, the Medical Superintendent said that they currently have a debt of 100 million shilling for the last financial year of 2023/24. Kateregga said that the accumulated arrears are from different suppliers and they do have not enough resources to clear the arrears yet more costs are adding up.
St Kizito Matany Hospital in the Napak district has incurred debts amounting to 100 million Shillings.
St Kizito Matany Hospital was founded in 1970 by the Comboni Missionaries under the German Missourian organization, with the mission to meet
the health needs of the Karamojong people.
Currently, the facility is the only general hospital in
the Napak district with a bed capacity of 250 but operates at the level of a referral hospital serving the population of Karamoja and the neighbouring sub-regions
of the Teso, Sebei, Bugisu, and some parts of Kenya and South Sudan.
The facility has also been receiving referrals from the Moroto Regional
Referral Hospital, especially for the Ultrasound Scan machine and x-ray
services.
Despite, the significant financial pressure that affects their ability to provide quality services, the facility continues to
struggle with an increasing number of patients. The hospital is seeing higher
expenses on drugs, supplies, labour, and feeding the patients.
Deusdedit Kateregga, the Medical Superintendent said that they currently have a debt of 100 million
shilling for the last financial year of 2023/24.
Kateregga said that the accumulated arrears are from
different suppliers and they do have not enough resources to clear the arrears yet
more costs are adding up.
He revealed that they have been relying on donor funding and
the patients contribute less than 15 percent of the cost-sharing. Despite, the
minimal support from the donors, the hospital spends more money on the patients
which causes a deficit in their budget.
Kateregga said that the hospital budget currently stands at
5 billion shillings annually to run the entire activities in the facility.
He also said that they have challenges of
inadequate manpower, and lack of space and beds as the number of patients
exceeds the capacity. He appealed to the government to consider sending some
health workers to beef up the manpower.
//Cue in: "Patients only .......
Cue out: "..for this manpower ". //
The hospital management also raised concerns about the
burden of feeding the patients admitted and their caretakers.
Kateregga said that they are struggling to feed the patients
and their caretakers admitted to the facility. He said that most patients who
are admitted cannot afford to feed themselves and the hospital has to provide
food.
He also observed that some partners such as Welthunger,
Cooperation and Development have been supporting them with food but not enough.
"Some patients like pregnant mothers coming to deliver move
with other children that we feed for the entire time they will spend in the
hospital, some of them go for a week depending on the health conditions,"
Kateregga said.
//Cue in: "They don't come...
Cue out: "...the hospital now".//
In 2022, President Museveni while meeting with the leaders
in Karamoja at Morulinga State Lodge promised to support the facility with 600
million shillings to cushion the financial burden of medical expenses, a
pledge is yet to be delivered.
