Patients Stuck as NMS Fails to Deliver X-ray Films Material

Patients in need of X-ray services in Soroti Regional Referral Hospital are stuck following the failure by the National Medical stores-NMS to supply chemicals used to process films. 

Several Patients have been stranded for the last two weeks. Those who can afford have resorted to private clinics for x-ray services while those who don’t have money queue up at the hospital hoping that they will be served.

Patients in the causality and children’s wards are most affected.

Parents of 13-year-old Norbert Otim, who was admitted with stomach complications, had to fork out 20,000 shillings to transport their son to Soroti Medical Associates, a private clinic in senior quarters ward along Soroti –Lira road and another 15,000 to access x-ray services.

James Okello and Christine Akiriat told local media on Monday that despite spending 60,000 shillings to transport their sister with a fractured limb from Pingire Sub-County in Serere District to Soroti Regional Hospital, they were disappointed that they couldn’t access X-ray services at the hospital.

The modern Ultra Sound X-ray machine at Soroti Regional Hospital serves patients from Soroti, Serere, Katakwi, Amuria, Kaberamaido, Ngora, Kumi and Bukedea districts. Our reporter who visited the x-ray department on Monday morning found more than twenty patients anxiously waiting for x-ray services.  Workers from the X-ray department could be seen seated out the unit.

Emmanuel Batiibwe, the Director Soroti Regional Referral Hospital says National Medical Stores only delivered drugs but didn’t bring chemicals used for developing x-ray films.

A Health worker who declined not to be named told local media that they receive between 600 and 1000 patients in need of x-ray services each month. He says some of the patients who are in need of X-ray services come from as far as Karamoja.

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