Patients at Bukwo hospital share wards with dead bodies

Bukwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Patients at Bukwo general hospital in Bukwo district, Sebei sub region are forced to share beds with dead bodies due to the lack of a mortuary.

This was disclosed by Bukwo district health officer, Dr. Edward Sabiti on Tuesday during the Covid-19 taskforce meeting chaired by the Resident District Commisioner.

He also told the taskforce that the hospital dose not have substantive staff including the hospital administrator.

“We don’t have a mortuary as Bukwo general hospital and most patients who die are kept at the wards until the relatives come and collect their corpses,” he said.

Sabiti noted that sometimes the dead bodies can spend about two days in the ward together with admitted patients because the hospital dose not have where to keep the dead bodies.

He added that the general situation at Bukwo hospital might cause the hospital to be closed.

Dr. Sabiti’s revelation shocked the newly transferred Resident District Commissioner, Samuel Hashaka Mpimbaza who tasked the chief administrative officer to explain why the hospital which is under the district management has no mortuary.

Julius Chelimo, the district chairperson Bukwo said government sent money for the mortuary, but the contractor failed to do the work under unclear circumstances.

“I remember government had sent money for the construction of the hospital mortuary, by that time I was not yet elected, I think the chief administrative officer is in a better position to explain what went wrong,” he said.

Balaba Swaibu, the chief administrative officer Bukwo, in his response admitted that there was a problem with the contractor.

He acknowledged that the government had sent the money and the contractor was selected to do the work but has since never appeared.

“We have summoned the contractor to explain why he has failed to do work after signing the contract,” he said.

Patricia Chelangat, a mother and resident of  Kapsegek village in Amanang sub county, Bukwo district said the general situation at Bukwo district hospital was wanting, adding that most times patients run away and seek treatment from private clinics due to the unbearable situation at the hospital.

“I remember last month when I was attending to my child, two children died in the children’s ward and three people had died in the male ward but all these bodies remained at the hospital for about three days with a terrible smell so we had to run away,” she said.

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