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SOROTI - With President Yoweri Museveni expected in the Teso region later this month, preparations to welcome him have started with Vice President Jessica Alupo set to make an oversight visit to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital.

The President last year promised to visit Teso where he is expected to assess the progress of the government projects as well as hear from the people about the challenges they are faced with.

It's against that background that Alupo has started visiting key government institutions to collect the data that will be presented to the President once he is in the region.

In a letter signed by the deputy principal private secretary to the Vice President, Vincent Musubire, to the hospital director Dr Ben Watmon, the meeting on Thursday, February 8, 2024, shall have the hospital management and stakeholders.

Dr Joseph Epodoi, the hospital consultant who is currently acting as the director as Dr Watmon is ill, confirmed to New Vision the Vice President's visit.

“Yes, the vice President is coming tomorrow (Thursday). You know the President is coming to this region later this month, so these are preparation activities,” Dr Epodoi said.

The hospital built in 1994 with a bed capacity of 270 now receives over 410 admissions, leaving others lying on the floor.

Dr Epodoi stated that the key among the challenges they will present to the vice president shall be the lack of infrastructure. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

Dr Epodoi stated that the key among the challenges they will present to the vice president shall be the lack of infrastructure.

“We are so much behind in terms of infrastructure, so we shall not talk about human resource and equipment but infrastructure first,” Dr Epodoi said.

The hospital serves eleven districts with a population estimated at over one million people.

“She is expected to tour the facility on arrival so that she will get to know the challenges the patients are going through as well as the medical personnel,” Dr Epodoi explained.

The hospital has been at the centre of controversies as health workers at some point were accused of charging patients money, claims of absenteeism, and negligence.

Soroti Regional Refferal Hosptial entrance. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

In September last year, the Soroti West MP Jonathan Ebwalu closed the hospital administrative offices as he accused the hospital director of alleged abuse of office.

He claimed that patients were being charged sh150,000 to enable them to access the CT scan services.

“I have informed the Inspectorate of Government to investigate cases of abuse of office and loss of life. How can he be absent from work for a week?” Ebwalu who accused Dr Watmon of absenteeism asked.