Mbale referral hospital is one of the major government hospitals were over 13 million people in the eastern part of Uganda go for medical care. Of late the hospital administration has expressed concern that there is a big shortage of supplies and equipment which has consequently affected it operation.
The hospital superintendent Dr Benon Mwanume said the HIV and TB clinic has over 100 patients who badly need medication, yet there is big shortage of drugs in the hospital stores. The cause is that government is not supplying the hospital with enough drugs to cater for the patients.
“We at the hospital play our part by making orders from Uganda drug authority but we are either told the drugs are on the way or wait, and some time we wait and nothing is brought” Mwanume said.
Some of the drugs that have run out are anti retroviral drugs like Nevirapine and Zidovudine, among others used in preventing mother to child privation transmission, and Septrine for patients who are HIV positive. Mwanume added that if the situation is not checked then the hospital admiration will be left with no alternative but to refer some of the patients to non governmental organizations that deal with HIV, such as the AIDS Support Organization (TASO), Joint Clinical Research Center (JCRC) and the AIDS Information Center (AIC).
Dr Mwanume said the gynaecology department receives between 80 to 120 expectant mothers on a daily basis who seek delivery or antenatal services at the hospital. He added that out of this number between 10 and 20 expectant mothers are diagnosed with HIV.
The hospital is currently undergoing hard times with big shortage of staff, lack of funding from government, and shortages of supplies and other medical equipments, according to Mwanume.