Drug shortages, face mask charges, and the need to expand specialised health services dominated discussions during the third Baraza at Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH) on Thursday.
The accountability meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Health, hospital management, local leaders and members of the public to assess service delivery and provide residents with an opportunity to raise concerns directly with hospital administrators. Several residents complained about frequent medicine stock-outs despite seeking treatment at the regional referral hospital.
Tom Richard Omara, a resident of Adyel Parish in Lira City, said he was prescribed four different medicines but found none of them at the hospital pharmacy. Responding to the concerns, Dr Andrew Odur, the hospital’s Senior Executive Consultant, said the facility receives medicines from the National Medical Stores every two months, but the supplies are insufficient to meet the growing demand.
“With the increase in population, we have a challenge of not having enough,” he said. Dr Odur explained that the hospital prioritises medicines for five life-threatening conditions, as well as essential theatre supplies, to ensure critical services continue uninterrupted. However, he noted that the government has increased the hospital’s medicines budget in the current financial year, a move expected to improve drug availability.
He added: “Whatever the government has provided for in this financial year, we want to thank the government for that. However, we continue to request increased allocations towards the medicines budget so that, in future, we have fewer stock-outs of these critical medicines in our health facilities.”
Dr Otim Tom Charles, a board member and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Lira University, acknowledged that inadequate medicine supplies continue to force some patients to purchase drugs from private pharmacies. However, he welcomed the increased allocation for medicines, expressing hope that the situation will improve. The sale of face masks at the Outpatient Department (OPD) also attracted criticism from members of the public.
Lydia, a resident of Ngetta, questioned why patients were required to buy masks at 1,000 shillings before accessing services. “I brought my child here on Monday and found that everyone arriving at the OPD was being asked to buy a face mask. My question is whether these masks are supplied by the government or purchased from private pharmacies for resale in the hospital,” she said.
Dr Odur explained that patients attending the OPD are required to wear face masks because health workers cannot immediately determine whether those presenting with coughs have tuberculosis or other infectious diseases. Similarly, Robson Okabo, the Head of the Outpatient Department, clarified that the masks being sold are not supplied by either the government or the National Medical Stores.
He said government supplies of face masks declined significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the hospital to find alternative ways of maintaining infection prevention and control measures. The hospital also responded to concerns raised by persons with disabilities over difficulties accessing services spread across different departments.
Dr Odur said that while establishing a one-stop centre for all disability-related services may not be immediately feasible, the hospital is working to make its infrastructure more disability-friendly and will continue arranging for specialists to attend to patients whenever necessary. The Baraza also heard concerns about patients abandoning conventional treatment in favour of herbal remedies and faith healing.
Mike Adoko, a former inmate at Lira Government Prison and now a religious leader, praised the hospital after receiving free surgery and treatment, saying the experience changed his perception of public healthcare. However, he accused some self-styled religious leaders and herbal medicine dealers of persuading admitted patients to abandon treatment, thereby exposing them to serious health risks.
Hospital officials urged members of the public to seek treatment from qualified health workers and avoid practices that interfere with medical care. Meanwhile, Lira City Health Officer Dr Bernard Otucu said the hospital’s progress reflects the government’s commitment to improving health service delivery, adding that similar Barazas will be rolled out across government health facilities in the Lango Sub-region.
Lira Resident City Commissioner Lawrence Egole described the hospital as an emerging centre of excellence for Northern Uganda, citing improvements in specialised services and medical equipment. However, he challenged health workers to remain professional, safeguard public resources, reduce drug wastage and fight corruption.
He also appealed to patients and their attendants to stop offering bribes, saying corruption can only be defeated when both public servants and service seekers reject the practice. The Baraza was the third accountability meeting held at Lira Regional Referral Hospital under the Ministry of Health’s initiative to strengthen public participation, transparency and accountability in government health facilities. URN