I don’t know what to call Mulago hospital anymore. It is a National referral hospital supposed to offer free medical services but with the way things are going, I believe Mulago has turned into a hospital from hell responsible for many deaths contrary to its objective of saving lives.
I was in Mulago recently but what shocked me was to learn that people who were trained to nurse patients and endeavor to save their lives are the least bit concerned. When a patient needs urgent attention, normally the attending nurse will take her time until the situation turns critical then she comes running and still this is after several shouts of help have come from the ward.
However, the funny thing is that just incase a patient died these same nurses will be quick to take away the body, why? Simply because this person has no more use of the bed or space therefore it should be given to another sick person sleeping on the floor.
Besides that, its not that mulago has no facilities, or medicine, the fact is there are many patients vying for those services therefore people who can afford to pay for them will always be considered first and those who can’t just have to wait until the doctors take pity on them. The excuses they give when you don’t have money are you’re tablets are out of stock, the operation machines are under repair or the doctor who can treat your case is absent. Therefore this leaves you with no any other alternative but to wait. But if you miraculously get the money, then your doctor will reappear, the medicine that has been out of stock will be brought in and the malfunctioned operation machines will be repaired.
To top on that when their monthly salaries and allowances delay, doctors, nurses and interns will strike leaving their patients stranded without receiving any medical service. And that’s the national referral hospital for you- the one that has to offer you free medical services.
While I get angry at doctors, nurses and interns for the neglect they exhibit at mulago, I can’t entirely blame them. They too deserve to be paid for the work done. However, this can’t go on. We are losing so many patients especially those who can’t afford to issue money. Therefore if Mulago was supposed to offer free services may be it’s a high time we turned it completely into a voluntary hospital with voluntary workers – medical practitioners willing to offer their services for free without the qualms of money. But with what’s going on, I believe Mulago will soon become a site for sick people ready and willing to die.
