Discharged patients are stuck at Masaka regional referral hospital after failing to travel to their homes following President Yoweri Museveni's ban on public transport.
Maria Nalunkuuma, a resident of Kyamulibwa sub county in Kalungu district says she was referred to Masaka hospital to undergo a hernia operation but has failed to get affordable transport means to take them home. Nalunkuuma, who was discharged on Wednesday needs at least Shs 200,000 to hire a private vehicle to take her back home.
Several other people are now staying on the hospital verandah or under trees, with nothing to eat and no hope of getting home in the absence of public transport. In a bid to fight the further spread of the coronavirus, Museveni banned taxis, buses, coasters and boda bodas from carrying any passengers while private vehicles were also limited to a maximum of three people including the driver.
Teopista Nantale, a resident of Kibona village in Lwengo district had accompanied an expectant mother whose newborn did not make it after the operation. Nantale says that since the patient was discharged on Thursday, they have failed to find means of getting back to their home which is about 60km away from the Masaka hospital.
She says that the available vehicles for private hire asked them for at least Shs 300,000 to transport them and the body, a charge they can hardly afford. Nantale adds that they have also used the little money they had carried for their upkeep, and are currently living on the mercy of sympathizers.
"We are now contemplating asking our father to sell part of his land to bail us out of this bad situation," she noted.
Meanwhile, one of the medical staff on duty who however preferred not to be named for fear of possible repercussions said that they also cannot be of any support to such people.
"Our responsibility was to give them treatment which we have fully offered, beyond that we also don't have solutions," the source noted.
The health worker told URN that the hospital cannot even continue accommodating any person who has been discharged for fear of causing unbearable congestion in the wards, at a time when they are struggling to decongest the facility.
Several other people are now staying on the hospital verandah or under trees, with nothing to eat and no hope of getting home in the absence of public transport. In a bid to fight the further spread of the coronavirus, Museveni banned taxis, buses, coasters and boda bodas from carrying any passengers while private vehicles were also limited to a maximum of three people including the driver.
Teopista Nantale, a resident of Kibona village in Lwengo district had accompanied an expectant mother whose newborn did not make it after the operation. Nantale says that since the patient was discharged on Thursday, they have failed to find means of getting back to their home which is about 60km away from the Masaka hospital.
She says that the available vehicles for private hire asked them for at least Shs 300,000 to transport them and the body, a charge they can hardly afford. Nantale adds that they have also used the little money they had carried for their upkeep, and are currently living on the mercy of sympathizers.
"We are now contemplating asking our father to sell part of his land to bail us out of this bad situation," she noted.
Meanwhile, one of the medical staff on duty who however preferred not to be named for fear of possible repercussions said that they also cannot be of any support to such people.
"Our responsibility was to give them treatment which we have fully offered, beyond that we also don't have solutions," the source noted.
The health worker told URN that the hospital cannot even continue accommodating any person who has been discharged for fear of causing unbearable congestion in the wards, at a time when they are struggling to decongest the facility.
Source
