Should you stick to one clinic for your child's healthcare?

 

 

And because of the existing patient-doctor relationship and the fact that the facility or doctor would know the child’s medical history, some parents prefer to take their children to a family doctor or particular health facility every time they fall sick. 

 

In fact, some children have mastered their doctors’ faces so well that will start to cry immediately they see the medical workers, even when they meet outside the health facility.

 

Sarah Nantongo, a mother of one, swears that she will stick to the family doctor, given an experience where she almost lost her child to a negligent doctor.

 

“Once, I took my baby to a clinic in Lungujja, a Kampala suburb, after suspecting she had malaria. I explained to the doctor that my daughter was allergic to quinine, an anti-malarial drug.

 

However, after confirming that my child indeed had malaria, he proceeded to administer the drug, saying I cannot be my child’s mother and doctor at the same time. 

 

“My child’s condition got worse and she lost her sight. I reported the matter to  the Police, but the doctor denied having treated my daughter. And since I had not been given the medical form, he was let off the hook.” 

 

For Margaret Tusiime, a mother of two, it does not matter where her children access treatment as long as they recover from sickness. 

 

“I almost lost my daughter in a high profile Kampala hospital, while I waited in the queue to see a doctor. I have since given up taking my children to ‘first class’ hospitals. Clinics offer the same services and have shorter queues.”

 

According to Dr. Moses Mpirirwe, a general practitioner at Mulago Hospital, much as it is safe to stick to one clinic, sometimes you have to consult elsewhere, especially when an illness recurs. 

 

“In the beginning, some clinics want to keep you coming, so the service will be excellent. However, when they hook you, they become reluctant and only care about the money. They may even misdiagnose you just so as to get money.

 

This poses great risk to one’s health,” Mpirirwe adds.   

Dr. Grace Achan, a paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, emphasises the importance of taking children to a specific health facility. “It enables the doctor to analyse the child’s medical history, including the growth chart and immunisation records.

 

In a case where the child is not improving, a follow-up can be easily done because the records of treatment are readily available.” 

 

She adds that since most Ugandans do not have medical insurance, it is difficult to cater for their medical needs satisfactorily because private healthcare is expensive. “This is the more reason why you should have a particular clinic.

 

Similarly, when a child falls sick and there is hardly enough money for treatment, a parent who has a good relationship with the medical worker can access the services on credit.  

 

Achan adds: “Children are so delicate that their health just cannot be entrusted with anyone. Much as it is recommended that you stick to one health facility, avoid ‘briefcase’ clinics because they are only after money and not the child’s health.”

 

She adds that as a result of fake medical facilities, Mulago being a national referral hospital, receives many cases of children who have been misdiagnosed.

 

According to Achan, some ‘briefcase’ clinics do not even carry out laboratory tests on which to base the diagnosis. “They only look for the obvious signs and guess the disease.

 

Sometimes, even after laboratory tests have been carried out, the results may not be accurate due to substandard equipment,” she adds.

 

She advises that if a parent is torn between accessing services at a hospital or clinic, one should choose the former because many times, there are specialists on duty.

 

“The specialists look deeper into a child’s health condition and are more responsible and reliable because they keep detailed records.”  She adds that much as there are  queues at most hospitals, this is a safer option and a lot cheaper.

 

 

I would like to take my son to the health facility where I delivered him because they are good with children. But I travel a lot with him and that makes it difficult to stick to one clinic. The major challenge, however, is that when his condition does not improve and I am already in a different location, I have to find another health facility where he can seek treatment. 

Unlike upcountry, in Kampala, I only take my daughter to one hospital. Besides being more health cautious, the hospital has excellent customer care and is clean. In addition, there are no queues.