Referral hospitals rely on health centre IIIs for patient care

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KAMPALA - During the 26th parliamentary session, urgent concerns were raised regarding the health system's functionality, particularly the troubling referral processes and shortages of essential medicines.

Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, highlighted the alarming trend where referral hospitals have been sending patients to Health Centre IIIs, indicating a strain on resources at higher-level facilities.

“Referral hospitals are referring patients to health centre threes, I have evidence to that effect where a patient from Soroti Referral Hospital was referred to a health centre there and the patient died.”

The State Minister for Primary Health Care, Hon. Margaret Muhanga, provided a statement addressing the ongoing shortage of essential medicines and health supplies at health facilities across the country. 

Her remarks underscore a growing crisis that has left many healthcare providers unable to deliver adequate services to their patients.

Adding to the discussion, Hon. Timothy Batuwa from Jinja South Division West urged the Ministry of Finance to frontload logistics funding for NMS, which currently constitutes only 7% of their budget. 

"This funding is crucial for easing the delivery of drugs and ensuring that our health facilities are adequately stocked," he argued. The call for increased financial support highlights the underlying logistical challenges affecting the timely provision of health services.

Hon. Nandala Mafabi of Budadiri West contributed to the dialogue with findings from an investigation revealing that the prices of medicines supplied by NMS are higher than those found in local pharmacies.

This disparity raises further questions about the efficiency and affordability of government-provided health services.

In her plea, Hon. Rose Obigah from Terego District also addressed the urgent need to treat leprosy as an emergency in Northern Uganda. She emphasised the stigma surrounding the disease, stating, “People still treat leprosy as a curse, leaving the victims isolated.” 

Her call for action underscores the importance of not only addressing health shortages but also the need for comprehensive education and outreach to combat the societal stigma associated with certain illnesses.