Health sector is utterly neglected
Sep 01, 2009
Editor—The reason for the death of a mother and her baby at Mityana hospital recently has caught a lot of national attention. It is important, especially for beginners, to understand a few common findings particularly in our Government health facilities
Editor—The reason for the death of a mother and her baby at Mityana hospital recently has caught a lot of national attention. It is important, especially for beginners, to understand a few common findings particularly in our Government health facilities that we could put right if we chose to do so collectively. We should be proactive rather than reactive in solving such problems.
Sylvia Nalubowa had a twin pregnancy which is classified in strict obstetric terms as abnormal pregnancy and whose delivery, like other abnormal pregnancies, must always be conducted or supervised by an experienced obstetrician.
In strict medical practice, a midwife should not conduct such a delivery alone.
All she was supposed to do was to resuscitate the mother, monitor her condition and urgently call in an obstetrician—which she did not do!
Nalubowa’s death looked at in the context of a bigger picture must have been linked to the following key factors:
lIt is a very common phenomenon in upcountry Government hospitals to find a roster intentionally designed in such a way that junior medical cadres (intern doctors, enrolled nurses, clinical officers) are the ones meant to work in the late evenings/nights with the option of calling in a senior personnel whom, in some cases, will have his phone switched off or will delay to turn up!
Nalubowa needed the help of an obstetrician, medical officer or an intern doctor in obstetrics—none of which was in or near the hospital!
The obstetrician or medical officer were probably away trying to supplement their incomes.
Nalubowa, like other previous high and low profile deaths in our country occurred under the circumstances of trying to look for an emergency service. In her case, she was looking for one which is fairly available in our country.
Previously, we have also witnessed high-profile deaths in this country because they where trying to look for a service that was lacking but very important.
With due respect to their souls, a well-equipped intensive care unit might have saved the lives of high-profile patients like Brig Noble Mayombo and Dr. Samson Kisekka.
So my advice to all, especially the political leaders, is that they should stop being reactionary in solving the health sector problems of this country.
They should clearly show commitment in improving the overall quality of our health system by improving the critical areas like health workers’ remuneration, installing adequate diagnostic and monitoring medical equipment and provision of effective management. From evidence available, at a certain point, all of us, irrespective of our social status, will require urgently a well functioning health facility to save our lives.
Dr. Tonny Asonyu
Kampala
Sylvia Nalubowa had a twin pregnancy which is classified in strict obstetric terms as abnormal pregnancy and whose delivery, like other abnormal pregnancies, must always be conducted or supervised by an experienced obstetrician.
In strict medical practice, a midwife should not conduct such a delivery alone.
All she was supposed to do was to resuscitate the mother, monitor her condition and urgently call in an obstetrician—which she did not do!
Nalubowa’s death looked at in the context of a bigger picture must have been linked to the following key factors:
lIt is a very common phenomenon in upcountry Government hospitals to find a roster intentionally designed in such a way that junior medical cadres (intern doctors, enrolled nurses, clinical officers) are the ones meant to work in the late evenings/nights with the option of calling in a senior personnel whom, in some cases, will have his phone switched off or will delay to turn up!
Nalubowa needed the help of an obstetrician, medical officer or an intern doctor in obstetrics—none of which was in or near the hospital!
The obstetrician or medical officer were probably away trying to supplement their incomes.
Nalubowa, like other previous high and low profile deaths in our country occurred under the circumstances of trying to look for an emergency service. In her case, she was looking for one which is fairly available in our country.
Previously, we have also witnessed high-profile deaths in this country because they where trying to look for a service that was lacking but very important.
With due respect to their souls, a well-equipped intensive care unit might have saved the lives of high-profile patients like Brig Noble Mayombo and Dr. Samson Kisekka.
So my advice to all, especially the political leaders, is that they should stop being reactionary in solving the health sector problems of this country.
They should clearly show commitment in improving the overall quality of our health system by improving the critical areas like health workers’ remuneration, installing adequate diagnostic and monitoring medical equipment and provision of effective management. From evidence available, at a certain point, all of us, irrespective of our social status, will require urgently a well functioning health facility to save our lives.
Dr. Tonny Asonyu
Kampala