Arua district security has summoned a nurse at Ediofe Mission dispensary, Dorish Okundinia to explain why she wheeled a patient over a distance of 2kms to Arua regional referral hospital to seek treatment.
Also summoned is a presenter at Radio Pacis, Alfred Nyakuni who took the pictures and posted them on social media. The duo is accused of acting unprofessionally.
Pictures showing Okundinia wheeling a male patient seated on a wheel to Arua hospital stirred online debate once they were posted on Thursday last week. The patient had reportedly waited for an ambulance from the district health office (DHO) for four hours in vain.
According to information obtained from the health centre, Okundinia was assigned the patient who came from Vurra at around 7 a.m. and upon realising that his condition was worsening, management called the DHO Dr Paul Drileba to provide an ambulance.
Okundinia said the DHO promised to send an ambulance but she waited for it in vain, prompting her to find other means to deliver the patient to hospital. She wheeled the patient for some 2 kilometres from the dispensary to Arua hospital.
As she wheeled the patient, Okundinia met Nyakuni who was walking to work. He decided to take the picture of the patients and nurse and also interviewed her on why she decided to wheel the patient. He later shared the pictures on Facebook.
The two have now been summoned by the Arua District COVID-19 Taskforce chaired by the Arua resident district commissioner (RDC) Oyaa Nahori Awua.
Nyakuni says that he received the verbal summons from Awua, who drove on Sunday to look for him and the nurse from their workplaces and homes with a group of soldiers.
According to information obtained from the health centre, Okundinia was assigned the patient who came from Vurra at around 7 a.m. and upon realising that his condition was worsening, management called the DHO Dr Paul Drileba to provide an ambulance.
Okundinia said the DHO promised to send an ambulance but she waited for it in vain, prompting her to find other means to deliver the patient to hospital. She wheeled the patient for some 2 kilometres from the dispensary to Arua hospital.
As she wheeled the patient, Okundinia met Nyakuni who was walking to work. He decided to take the picture of the patients and nurse and also interviewed her on why she decided to wheel the patient. He later shared the pictures on Facebook.
The two have now been summoned by the Arua District COVID-19 Taskforce chaired by the Arua resident district commissioner (RDC) Oyaa Nahori Awua.
Nyakuni says that he received the verbal summons from Awua, who drove on Sunday to look for him and the nurse from their workplaces and homes with a group of soldiers.
"It [summon] was not formal, it was just a call. The RDC drove looking for this girl up to the nurses' quarters not even at the health centre. For the RDC to come with over 8 soldiers at the home of a nurse who was saving a life. He even came to Radio Pacis looking for me and she got my [phone] number and called me at 5 pm yesterday that she wants me, the nurse and the health in charge to appear before the Corona Task Force at 10 am today. You can't just inform us orally, you need to put it in writing," said Nyakuni.
Dr Paul Drileba, the Arua DHO has defended his failure to send an ambulance for Okundinia, saying they were attending to two other emergencies that needed an immediate response.
Dr Paul Drileba, the Arua DHO has defended his failure to send an ambulance for Okundinia, saying they were attending to two other emergencies that needed an immediate response.
"We had emergencies at that time and the first one was a bleeding mother and the second one was mother who'd failed to give birth... This is issue I regret it but I don't apologize for it. The journalist should be brought to book to determine if he acted an ethical way," said Drileba.
Arua deputy RDC Alice Akello Opio confirmed that the nurse has been summoned for acting unprofessionally by wheeling a patient on a wheelchair over a 2-km distance and leaving her duty station unattended to. He says Nyakuni is wanted for taking a picture without the patient's consent and sharing it on social media.
"We summoned them to appear here at 10:00 am but they haven't showed up. We are convening a meeting with the security team to find a way of getting them here anytime," said Akello.
Arua deputy RDC Alice Akello Opio confirmed that the nurse has been summoned for acting unprofessionally by wheeling a patient on a wheelchair over a 2-km distance and leaving her duty station unattended to. He says Nyakuni is wanted for taking a picture without the patient's consent and sharing it on social media.
"We summoned them to appear here at 10:00 am but they haven't showed up. We are convening a meeting with the security team to find a way of getting them here anytime," said Akello.
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