Itojo Hospital in Ntungamo District has twice missed out on an opportunity to become a medical internship centre because of a shortage of specialist doctors.
The hospital has completed the processes required to attain internship-centre status, but the plans have stalled at the final stage because the facility does not have enough specialists to meet the requirements.
Dr Kenneth Ayebazibwe, a medical officer at Itojo Hospital, says the facility currently lacks specialists in surgery, paediatrics, internal medicine, biomedical engineering and otolaryngology, commonly known as ENT.
He says the shortage has also affected the hospital’s ability to handle some critical cases, forcing it to refer patients to higher-level facilities.
Dr Ayebazibwe says the district has also been unable to secure a wage bill to facilitate the recruitment of the specialists needed at the hospital.
He cites a recent case involving a patient who sustained a severe abdominal injury that caused the intestines to protrude. According to Dr Ayebazibwe, the absence of a surgeon forced the hospital to refer the patient to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for further management.
Despite the shortage of specialists, he says the hospital’s medical officers continue to perform major procedures. In July alone, 120 mothers underwent operations at the facility with the help of medical officers.
However, the hospital is also operating with fewer medical officers than required. Dr Ayebazibwe says only five medical officers are currently available against the required eight.
Itojo Hospital currently serves between 650 and 700 patients every month, increasing the demand for specialised services. The facility was constructed between 1964 and 1968 during the administration of then Prime Minister Milton Obote and was officially commissioned in 1971 under the government of Idi Amin.
It was established to serve patients from the Ankole and Kigezi sub-regions, as well as parts of northern Tanzania and northeastern Rwanda. Dr Ayebazibwe has appealed to the government to address the staffing and operational challenges at the hospital, saying specialist services are critical if the facility is to expand its role in the health sector and qualify as an internship centre.
Meanwhile, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Health, says he is aware of the challenges facing Itojo Hospital, including inadequate staffing, infrastructure and the need for expansion. Baryomunsi, however, did not give a specific timeline for addressing the challenges. He said he would engage the ministry’s technical team to explore possible interventions at the facility.
Baryomunsi said that despite the challenges, he had received credible reports indicating that Itojo Hospital is providing improved services to the public-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
