Health workers in Busoga were all smiles, when Makerere University School of Public Health (MUSPH) together with the University of California San Francisco donated several pieces of vital medical equipment worth Shs 155m to six major hospitals in the region.

The gesture is intended to end pre-term deaths in Uganda. The beneficiary are Jinja Main Referral, Kamuli mission, Kamuli- Lubaga, Bugiri, Buluba in Mayuge and Iganga hospitals.

Representing Makerere University, Dr Peter Waiswa explained that they had distributed delivery beds, oxygen concentrators, digital thermometers, incubators, photo therapy machines and glucometers.

He explained that they had been motivated to assist after research found that hospitals in the region lacked the required medical equipment to care for pre-term babies (those born before their due date), leading to their death.

“We came in as researchers to reduce on the child mortality rates [in the region] especially of pre-term babies,” Dr Waiswa said.

The global director of pre-term birth initiative (PTBI), Dr Delly Liz (R), and Makerere University School of Public Health’s Dr Peter Waiswa hand over a photo-therapy machine to Jinja regional referral hospital’s Dr Dan Balinaenseko (second left in white hospital gown) and Iganga hospital’s acting superintendent, Dr James Waako last week

Studies by the Health ministry have found that an estimated 39,000 babies die at birth annually. Explaining the situation, the deputy director of Jinja Main regional referral hospital, Dr Dan Balinaenseko, blamed deteriorating child care services on government’s long procurement process.

“People blame us for recklessness and negligence of their babies who sometimes die at birth, but the problem lies within our procurement system; you order for an item in one month and it is endorsed after a year hence a demerit to the hospital’s service delivery,” Dr Balinaensekko said.

Balinaenseko asked for more government assistance to regional health centres to boost service delivery to patients.

“Jinja regional referral hospital is responsible for 10 districts in Busoga and as the population increases so do patients,”  Balinaenseko added. “But our employee structure of 2017 is equivalent to the one we had in 2001, irrespective of the new units like ICU, child special care unit and cancer ward, among others,”

In 2016, Makerere University’s School of Public Health and the University of California, San Francisco started a campaign to end pre-term deaths through support and sensitization of health workers and mothers.

wambuzireacheal@gmail.com