Naguru Hospital officials clash at Parliament

CONFLICT   HEALTH

 

KAMPALA-A scene similar to the Biblical tower of Babel was reenacted at Parliament yesterday as officials from China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, Naguru seemed to read from different scripts over the entity's accountability.

 

Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe, the Hospital Director, Regina Mugasa, the Principal Administrator, Jaqueline Ongom, the Chief Human Resource Officer and Isabirye Siraj, the head of accounts were at Parliament to answer queries raised by the Auditor General in three financial years.

 

The financial years in issue over which the hospital technocrats interfaced with lawmakers sitting on the Public Accounts Committee were 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

 

However, the lawmakers were surprised to receive two reports for the financial year 2016/17 signed by two different accounting officers.

 

One report signed by Mugasa had different figures from the one Batiibwe had his signature appended.

 

"Which report do you want us to accept as authentic and consider for purposes of this meeting?" committee vice chairperson, Okin Ojara (Chua West) asked.

 

Isabirye, to the amusement of MPs, said both reports were correct only that one was simply a draft of the other.

 

"How do you append a signature to a draft report? A signature implies that a document is final," Ojara said.

 

On his part, Batwiibe told MPs that he is new in his current docket. Asked which report ought to be considered in light of the different figures in the two, Batwiibe kept quiet without passing the buck.

 

Without taking responsibility, Mugasa revealed that she acted as the hospital's accounting officer for two months during the period under review before handing over to Batwiibe as she prepared to leave for further studies.

 

The committee declined to consider the audit report for financial year 2016/17 and instead ordered the technocrats to submit an explanation why the figures in the two reports were divergent.

 

Auditors attached to the committee described the anomaly as egregious with a section of lawmakers, including Fredrick Angura, attributing it to a possible rift between the hospital's top brass.