Bududa District authorities have suspended the management of Bududa District Hospital following a series of reported maternal deaths at the facility. The District Security Committee resolved to suspend the administrators during a meeting chaired by Bududa Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Juliet Solome Namara, paving the way for investigations into the deaths and allegations of failures in the delivery of health services.
The suspended officials are Dr Sylvia Ntegeka, the medical superintendent; Hamza Kaabale, the senior hospital administrator; Dr Charles Mushikoma; and Elina Nakusi. The officials will not return to their offices until investigations establish the circumstances surrounding the reported maternal deaths and determine whether failures in service delivery contributed to them.
“Until we get the reasons why they are losing mothers, the administrators will not step into their offices,” Namara said. The suspension follows growing public concern over maternal deaths at the hospital. One of the cases involves 31-year-old Jenifer Nasaka of Bunasaba Central Village, who died in May amid allegations of neglect.
Another woman, Aidah Bisikwa, also reportedly died under circumstances that raised similar concerns. The latest case involves Sandra Khabuya, whose death has renewed concerns about the quality and timeliness of emergency care at the hospital. The allegations have prompted calls for a thorough investigation to establish what happened in each case and whether any failures in the provision of care contributed to the deaths.
The District Security Committee has also ordered the temporary closure of the hospital’s private wing for two weeks over concerns about the deployment of doctors between the private wing and the general wards. Namara alleged that some doctors were giving greater attention to patients in the private wing because they paid for services, while patients in the general wards received less attention.
She said the practice could disadvantage patients who cannot afford private treatment and potentially compromise the quality and timeliness of care received in the general wards. The district has tasked District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Alex Kakala Mushiso with putting in place interim management arrangements during the suspension.
The District Executive Committee (DEC), headed by LC V Chairperson Geoffrey Natubu, will determine the composition of the interim management team. Mushiso said the district would immediately reorganise the hospital’s management structure to strengthen supervision and improve service delivery.
“We are going to do reorganisation of management immediately to see that we improve supervision and, hence, better service delivery in the hospital,” Mushiso said. The district is expected to announce the interim management team after the DEC concludes its deliberations. The intervention is intended to facilitate investigations, restore public confidence in the hospital, and strengthen management and service delivery at the facility-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
