During its sitting on Tuesday, the Committee under the stewardship of the Vice-Chairperson, Asuman Basalirwa, legislators noted that the National Referral hospital is being run under a bureaucratic system where its Management is supervised by the Ministry of Health and staff recruitment done by the Health Service Commission.
The MRI machine contains powerful magnets and it is used to carry out complex medical tests like coronary tests for heart patients, brain and spinal tests and others. MPs learnt that this is the only available government MRI machine in the country and its idleness implies that patients are forced to seek for the services from costly private facilities.
In 2019, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the National Drug Authority (NDA) to cancel licences of the two private pharmacies operating in Mulago. However, the directive, according to Dr. Baterana, was temporarily stayed following legal advice from the Attorney General.
Mulago Hospital Excecutive Director Dr Byarugaba Baterana told the recently inaugurated board that one major challenge the government facility was experiencing is moon lighting of doctors. He noted that there is need for policy makers to end this with new regulations that prohibit duo loyalty of doctors in government facilities across the country.
Atwine, who was responding to questions from Members of Parliament in regards to their preparation to handle cases in case they rise, said that at the moment they are handling cases of coronavirus in Entebbe Grade B hospital and Mulago hospital.
