Mityana Hospital Waits 3 Years Without X-Ray; Ministry Still Looking for a Repair

Mityana Hospital will have to wait longer as the Ministry of Health seeks to recruit a contractor to repair the non-functioning dilapidated X-ray and Ultra Sound machines, three years since they broke down.

The hospital was rehabilitated in 2010 and commissioned early this year but has been operating without an X-ray and Ultra Sound Machines which are important in running the hospital as many crucial medical investigations are done by using the two machines.

Mityana District Health Officer – DHO, Dr Fred Lwasampijja says that the hospital has been having the problem of non-functional X-ray and Ultra Sound machines for about three years now but they have been working with the health ministry to fix the machines.

He said that for the X-ray, the ministry (of health) sourcing for a supplier who can come and fix it while for the ultrasound scan, the machine is out dated and cannot be fixed hence they are planning to replace it and have a new machine.    

  “As a district, we had planned to procure the ultrasound scan and had provided a budget of 40 million Shillings but while looking for which firm can provide the machine, we found out that the machine can go up to 120 million Shillings,"  said Dr Lwasampijja. "Our budget is not enough to procure a new machine. We shall continue working with the ministry to see that we get an ultra sound machine to the standard of Mityana Hospital.”

  He said that they source X-ray and Ultra sound services from private providers whose reports formed the basis for management of the patients. At private facilities, Dr Lwasampijja said that the patients pay at least 15,000 Shillings for ultra sound while X-ray costs them  30,000Shillings.

  Dr Lwasampijja explained that upon breakdown of the machines, the district needed a firm that is pre-qualified by the ministry to come and fix them since they were procured by government. Describing the machines as expensive, Dr Lwasampijja said that despite the appeals, no donor has come to their rescue because of the strings attached if someone is to donate such a machine.        

  According to Dr Lwasampijja, Mityana Hospital receives between 150 to 200 patients daily and because of its location, it serves people from neighboring districts of Kassanda, Kiboga, Mubende and sometimes as far as Kyegegwa in addition to handling accident cases because of its proximity to the highway.

  Cue in//…therefore the two…//             Cue out…Mityana hospital…//             

      The X-ray is very important for people with chest infections, bone infection and accident injuries whereas ultra sound scan is so important for expectant mothers to see the baby, the of internal condition of their clients and many other functions.

The Ministry of Health Senior Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ainebyona said there was no contract for maintenance of the two machines but the ministry’s engineering department is working to ensure that there is a signed provider contract for maintenance.  

       Without divulging details of the process, Mr Ainebyona said that the process of soliciting a contractor has been ongoing and a new firm to take on the maintenance work is yet to be identified.  

          He attributed the delay to the transition from the previous contractor but they are currently concluding talks on the contract terms to ensure that the machines are worked on.      

       //Cue in…our hope…//                 Cue out… time possible…//            #####