The lack of ambulances at Kapchorwa Hospital is hindering the referral of patients.
Siraje Masai, the District Health Officer, says, says that they struggle to ensure timely referral of
cases to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. He says that the only ambulance at the
hospital is grounded because it developed mechanical problems.
He says that most of the patients who
need referrals include expectant mothers and accident victims. Masai adds that they want the Ministry of Health to
make an emergency provision for an ambulance to ease the delivery of health
services.
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Lucy Chemutai, the Principle Nursing Officer at Kapchorwa Hospital, says that the lack of an ambulance and other
emergencies is making it difficult for them to save lives.
Chemutai says that referring patients especially
mothers in labour is very difficult due to the lack of transport means.
According to Chemutai, some women have lost their lives due to delays
to refer them to Mbale or other hospitals.
She says that residents are facing a huge challenge to rush their sick
relatives to the hospital.
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The
lack of ambulance services hasn’t gone down with the residents as they have to
hire vehicles to transport their sick relatives to the hospital.
Charles Chesakit,
a resident of Tumboboi Parish, says, in March, he lost his child and
the mother almost died due to a lack of transport to the main hospital.
Kapchorwa
hospital serves the districts of Bulambuli, Kween, Bukwo, and parts of Amudat.
