Soroti town residents demonstrate over poor medical service delivery
Oct 04, 2016
The residents who were mainly boda boda riders, councilors, and the youth paralyzed traffic, and making unnecessary noise.
Soroti town residents have stormed Soroti Regional Referral Hospital accusing the Hospital Director, Dr. Emmanuel Peter Batiibwe of abuse of office, encouraging formation of cligues amongst staff, and corruption.
The residents who demanded to be addressed by the hospital director, Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe said many lives have been lost due to poor management of the hospital affairs.
The residents who forcefully entered the facility as they demanded Dr. Batiibwe returns the ambulance he reportedly destroyed to turn into a pick up, also paralysed the hospital activities as some patients and attendants came to join them .
Some of the placards read in a part; "Mr President keeping thieves like Dr. Batiibwe in Sorori RRH compromises your vision on improved health services by 2020",
"Fueling of an ambulance by patients must stop" ,and "Dr. Batiibwe stop sexual exploitation in Soroti Regional Referral Hospital"
The protest followed numerous outcries by patients and some members of the public that they are asked to pay money for fuel and general hospital services.
They were also demanding for the generator that they say had disappeared making now people to lose life in case of black outs where some medical staff cannot manage to treat patients.
The residents who were mainly boda boda riders, councilors, and the youth paralyzed traffic, and making unnecessary noise.
The police had to come in to disperse the residents who were almost becoming rowdy.
The police lead by District Police Commander, Moses Ochieng ordered the protesters who were lead by the State House Mobilizer, Teddy Acham, who also doubles as the LC2 Chairperson, Eastern Division to direct their grievances to the District Resident Commissioner, John Stephen Ekoom.
According to Acham there has been an outcry among the public over what she said extortion of fees, bribery and abuse of office byDr. Batiibwe.
"I m not going to allow corruption in this hospital facility, because it is one of the things that government is fighting now," said Acham.
However, the Hospital's Senior Administrator, Paul Ajuk had earlier on told our reporters that they will not commend on any issue concerning the accusations that have been labeld against the hospital saying the media had earlier on portrayed them in negatively.
"How do you say that I'm fueling the vehicles that are no-existing? I'm not a thief," he said.
Meanwhile Dr. Batiibwe was reportedly not in the office by the time of filing this report, and accessing his phone was also difficult since the journalist were bared from entering into the hospital.
Ekoom advised the residents to remain calm as the investigation are still on going.
The District Secretary Health and Education, John Calvin Elenyu asked the Ministry of Health, through the office of RDC Soroti to tranfer of Dr. Batiibwe.
Meanwhile some of the patients interviewd at the facility hailed the developmet saying it will help check on some of the medical staff who are extoring money from them.
"We are always beeing charged money to access toilets, and washing bay," said Madelena Ayiro who did not declare the amount being asked adding that they are also been paying money for medical intervations like operations, and labor.
Another residents testified at RDCs office that she was charged sh380,000 to have her brother operated on.