The lone x-ray machine at Kaabong district general hospital has not been used even once since the time it was purchased 15years ago.
A visit by URN to Kaabong general hospital on Sunday found that patients at the hospital are being deprived of a vital service for the lack of an operator for the 100million shillings equipment.
Mark Lokol a patient in the male ward in the hospital claims that many patients are being given wrong treatment due to lack of an operator to run the machine what guide doctors to make proper diagnosis for treatment of the patients.
“I am one of those who has got a big problem; I have been suffering with a serious backache now for six month, and doctors here at the hospital keep on giving me pain killers which have failed to work,” he said. “This is due to lack of an x-ray operator to help and find out the real cause of the suffering I am going through.”
Jessica Nakiru a retired assistant nursing officer said many people in Kaabong district have become disabled due to administration wrong treatment for different ailments.
“A general hospital without a functioning x-ray machine is a dead hospital, I have been working in Kaabong and I could shed tears seeing my people being treated by guesswork,” she said.
Ms Fardoza Hamed a former Aspiring women member of parliament for Kaabong district said the health situation in Kaabong General hospital was wanting.
“I want to tell you that what’s helping our people is just the mercy of God otherwise there are no service in that hospital,” she said.
She claimed the current elected leaders of Kaabong are paying less attention to health issues of Kaabong.
Dr. Sharif Nalibe the district health director confirmed to URN that the hospital x-ray has been lying idle.
He said they had recruited one person to operate the machine but he left for studies.
“The person we recruited to operate the machine left for a course of three years and he will be finishing this year, but it is true the X-ray machine is idle,” he said.
Dr Nalibe added that they have been relying on TB diagnosis mobile machine which he said it does not do many of the required body checks.
Kaabong district is located in Karamoja region in the north eastern part of Uganda.
-URN
