Wednesday’s tragic accident highlighted the challenges faced by Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital to respond to emergencies.
Most times, the hospital operates with a shortage of critical medical items essential for responding to sudden emergencies including gloves, cotton wool, and gauze for treating the injured. The hospital receives patients from Kasese, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Bundibugyo, Kamwenge, Kitagwenda, Ntoroko and Bunyagabu District.
Some of the victims who were injured in the Link Bus accident were taken to private institutions like Great lakes medical Center, Virika, and Kabarole hospitals due to a lack of supplies at the referral hospital.
The Hospital Administrator Beatrice Mutamuliza says that the majority of the survivors who were rushed to the facility required CT scan services which the hospital lacks. He says that they were referred to Mbarara Hospital, which is more than 160 Kilometers away.
“We have cases that we have referred to other facilities because we don’t have a CT scan in this hospital, this issue is very serious, we serve over 10 districts most people require this service but our hands are tied” Mutamuliza added.
When our reporter visited the hospital, he found several accident survivors were crammed in the causality ward. Mutamuliza said the facility has limited space which forced management to erect a tent outside the ward to attend to the injured victims.
Joyce Munakenya, the in-charge Surgical Ward says that when they get emergency cases, they receive supplies from the UPDF Mountain Division Hospital in Muhooti and Uganda Red Cross.
Alex Ruhunda, the Fort Portal City Member of Parliament says that the government should procure a CT scan for the hospital to save patients from traveling to Kampala and Mbarara.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the accident has reached 22 people. On Friday, Kellen Basemera, a seven-year-old girl died at Mulago Hospital.
On Thursday, the State Minister for Works Musa Ecweru and officials from the Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA visited the crash scene to conduct further investigations and establish the actual cause of the accident.
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