Gulu hospital lacks beds
Jan 10, 2010
MANY patients at Gulu referral hospital sleep on the floor, or on beds without mattresses. Terezina Akot, 60, said she was forced to buy papyrus mats to spread on the floor for her patient.
By Chris Ocowun
MANY patients at Gulu referral hospital sleep on the floor, or on beds without mattresses. Terezina Akot, 60, said she was forced to buy papyrus mats to spread on the floor for her patient.
“When we came we found all the beds occupied. We had to buy papyrus mats. That is where we sleep with many other patients,†Akot narrated.
She told The New Vision last Thursday that other patients sleep on clothing.
Conditions at night are said to be worse with patients and their caretakers fighting for space on the ward floors with some sleeping in the corridors.
“Even the drugs are not enough. After surgical operations, the medical workers tell us to buy medicine. I have been here for one month and bought drugs worth sh16,000, yet there is no improvement in my condition,†said Lily Auno, who was nursing a large wound on her leg.
Conditions in the maternity ward are worse. Mothers who have just given birth are told to vacate their beds for women who are in labour.
The wards for surgery, children and out-patients are also over-crowded.
“On Mondays, more than 500 patients queue at the dispensing window to receive drugs, Others sit under the sun to wait for drugs. We used to have about 100 patients at the out-patients department on Mondays,†a medic remarked.
Nurses noted that though some of the wards have been renovated, they lacked mattresses, beddings and other accessories, and that the few remaining beds in them were in poor condition.
The medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Yovenito Agel Akii, acknowledged the number of inpatients in the various wards was more than double their capacity, and that there was a shortage of drugs, supplies and medical workers: “Gulu referral hospital is a 250-bed hospital and yet in the last six months, the number of our inpatients has doubled from 400-600. We receieve a budget for 250 beds and yet we are handling double this number.â€
MANY patients at Gulu referral hospital sleep on the floor, or on beds without mattresses. Terezina Akot, 60, said she was forced to buy papyrus mats to spread on the floor for her patient.
“When we came we found all the beds occupied. We had to buy papyrus mats. That is where we sleep with many other patients,†Akot narrated.
She told The New Vision last Thursday that other patients sleep on clothing.
Conditions at night are said to be worse with patients and their caretakers fighting for space on the ward floors with some sleeping in the corridors.
“Even the drugs are not enough. After surgical operations, the medical workers tell us to buy medicine. I have been here for one month and bought drugs worth sh16,000, yet there is no improvement in my condition,†said Lily Auno, who was nursing a large wound on her leg.
Conditions in the maternity ward are worse. Mothers who have just given birth are told to vacate their beds for women who are in labour.
The wards for surgery, children and out-patients are also over-crowded.
“On Mondays, more than 500 patients queue at the dispensing window to receive drugs, Others sit under the sun to wait for drugs. We used to have about 100 patients at the out-patients department on Mondays,†a medic remarked.
Nurses noted that though some of the wards have been renovated, they lacked mattresses, beddings and other accessories, and that the few remaining beds in them were in poor condition.
The medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Yovenito Agel Akii, acknowledged the number of inpatients in the various wards was more than double their capacity, and that there was a shortage of drugs, supplies and medical workers: “Gulu referral hospital is a 250-bed hospital and yet in the last six months, the number of our inpatients has doubled from 400-600. We receieve a budget for 250 beds and yet we are handling double this number.â€