Over 60 doctors under investigation

More Ugandans sued their doctors last year, for causing untold suffering and loss of life, than ever before, a 2020 report by the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) has revealed.

Though Ugandan doctors are on demand in Kenya and Sudan, the actions of some of them have broken the trust of patients and this has tainted the image of this noble profession.

Statistical analysis of complaints sent to the UMDPC indicates that last year alone, over 60 doctors and four hospitals in Kampala, Ibanda and Kabarole districts were reported over alleged malpractice and professional negligence.

According to the report, the number of cases could even be more, because some are settled out of court; only one in three malpractice cases are reported.

This makes it difficult to enforce the law because even the council that regulates the conduct of health providers is, sometimes, not aware of such cases and they have to rely on what is reported by the media or cases sent to them by other institutions.

The suits

Of the 64 cases, three have been partly heard by the UMDPC tribunal, seven cases are waiting to be heard, eight were partly heard in a small committee and 42 are pending.

Some 78% of the cases of professional misconduct reported were against specialists, with surgical specialists contributing 48%, while obstetrics and gynaecology comes second at 17%.

Other reasons for malpractice include issuance of false medical reports, abandonment of a patient under one’s care, professional incompetence, improper recording and safety of records, illegal practice without licence and failure to refer a patient.

Private facilities top

Private hospitals and clinics are responsible for the bulk of the reported malpractices, accounting for 70% of the cases while government hospitals account for 16%.

This is so because people do not want to report government hospitals as compensation delays.

“Ugandans talk a lot, but most of them do not know when their rights are mishandled and how to report and seek redress for their suffering. For others, the love for money stops them from reporting some of the cases,” Dr Katumba Ssentongo, the registrar at UMDP, said.

Katumba said patients need to know that they have a right to accurate information concerning their illness, the procedures recommended for their treatment, the complications that can occur, and the available treatments.

Quacks on the rise

Most of the medical centres are run by unqualified health workers.

“People are dying under the care of fake practitioners. Some of these conduct minor surgeries, test for different diseases, give wrong prescriptions to patients and some help mothers to give birth. The quacks are putting the lives of Ugandans at risk, but because of their commercial approach, they are more preferred by the public than the qualified doctors,” reads the report.

Speaking to Sunday Vision, Prof. Charles Okiria, the chairperson of the Allied Health Professional Council, said the drive to do any business in Uganda has pushed many into the medical world.

To them, medicine has better returns in investments; it is a business not a service.

“The number of qualified doctors does not match the population they serve. So, the quacks have taken this advantage to fill the gap, especially in areas where people are desperate. The weak laws and less supervision of private facilities have also contributed to the rise of quacks,” Okiria noted.

According to Okiria, the bad attitude, laziness, absenteeism of qualified practitioners in public facilities has pushed many people to go to quacks in private facilities who know how to handle people although they don’t have the requisite no qualifications.

“Health practitioners need to be trained often not only on the technical side, but also on skills. This is because people are losing lives by visiting the private medical facility owners who are unqualified, but always present in their facilities. The patients are running away from the public facilities with qualified personnel who are never available,” Okiria said.

The medical bodies are calling upon the strengthening of the regulatory system because when the quacks are got, they always plead guilty in court, pay (some little) fine and continue operating the next day.

“We need joint efforts from all medical bodies so that we have a presence on the ground. We should have a link whereby when a drugs body (National Drug Authority - NDA) visits a facility and finds out that they are selling fake drugs, they should also investigate more to see whether the person has a licence from other medical bodies. We also need to engage the community to take action when they find these quacks,” Okiria said.

The UMDPC has promised to reprimand all quacks and also called upon local leaders to co-operate with them so that they eliminate criminals who are putting the lives of people at risk.

“When we visit these places and we close them over lack of licences or academic qualifications, they reopen days later, with authorisation from the local leaders,” Katumba said.

Licences

For one to practice as a doctor, dental surgeon, nurse or midwife, they must be trained and registered with the relevant professional council/body to get a licence.

Nurses and midwives are registered under the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council and must renew their practicing licences every three years. Those dealing in drugs, must have a licence from NDA.

Baby swapping

In August, last year, Dr George Ssenkomi, a radiographer and the director of Kamic Medical Centre, was charged and remanded to Kitalya Prison over allegedly operating a health unit without a licence.

On March 21, Ssenkomi allegedly swapped a live baby boy with a dead one.

He reportedly gave Pastor Raymond Magge and his wife, Patience Biwaga, of Yesu Akwagala Ministries in Kawempe, Kampala a live baby and allegedly gave the real parents, Gloria Awino and Rogers Egonga, a dead one.

“All that is happening because some of the health bodies are corrupt, they are the ones who give them fake licences to operate. The other issue is that there is shortage of drugs in public hospitals. So, if people get someone who is selling at a cheaper price and he has the drugs they want, they will go there for help,” a doctor, who preferred anonymity, said.

She added that in order to fight the quacks, the Government should ensure the presence of adequate and well-equipped public facilities to match population demands in all areas.

“The council should sensitise the public on who is a fake doctor. When you are sick, all you want is to get healed. If you have been seeing other patients get healed by the quack doctor, you will also visit the facility. Let the council stop complaining, but educate the public,” she said.

Dangers Dr Peter Kalyango, a general doctor at Nyango Medical Centre in Natete, Kampala, said the danger of being treated by a fake doctor is that they themselves do not know what they are administering.

“A renowned businessman on Entebbe Road died because of a fake doctor. The quack recommended medicine, which was supposed to be given through an injection on phone and the businessman just (swallowed) it,” Kalyango said.

He added that the high cost of health care, especially consultation fees has pushed medical services beyond reach.

Many people have resorted to quacks because they can afford them, yet those are doctors who give wrong prescription and they are not available when needed.

“Many people have died or had complications because of being treated by such people. They charge a lot, but they operate by hearsay,” Kalyango said.

The story was done with support from the Democratic Governance Facility

Photo caption: The drive to do any business in Uganda has pushed many into the medical world. To them, medicine has better returns in investment; it is business, not service