Mulago Organ Transplant Unit Seeks Operational Funds After Completion

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The Organ Transplant Unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, boasting complete infrastructure and necessary medical equipment, remains dormant due to the lack of adequate operational funds amounting to sh25 billion, revealed Dr. Charles Ayume, Chairperson of the Committee on Health, in his address to Parliament.

During the Tuesday session on November 14, 2023, Dr. Ayume highlighted the unit’s predicament, citing fundamental challenges such as insufficient water supply, malfunctioning air conditioning, and drainage issues hampering its functionality.

“While equipped with two theaters and three Intensive Care Units (ICUs), the unit grapples with intermittent water supply, inadequate air conditioning, and sewage problems. The building, equipped with six lifts, has only one operational,” he emphasized.

Responding to Speaker Anita Among’s concerns about staffing shortages in the organ transplant unit, Dr. Ayume acknowledged the significant shortfall. Among had underscored the dearth of manpower in relation to the unit’s capacity, noting that while it has 29 modern beds in the ICU, only 14 staff members are available.

The speaker highlighted the pressing need for additional personnel, citing the unit’s inability to meet its dialysis capacity, which was designed for 70 patients daily but currently serves only 10 due to staff shortages.

Among further flagged the absence of dedicated rooms to accommodate both organ donors and recipients for the essential duration of their treatment and recovery, urging the urgent addressing of this critical shortfall.

These concerns raised a wave of discontent among MPs, prompting calls for a dedicated parliamentary debate on the broader state of the country’s healthcare system. Dan Atwijukire highlighted the urgency of auditing human resources in the health sector to unearth irregularities in staff distribution and employment.

Sarah Opendi echoed these sentiments, shedding light on the overcrowded workspaces in some health facilities and emphasizing the dire need for improved infrastructure.

Alex Byarugaba spotlighted the distressing conditions at the Uganda Cancer Institute, expressing dismay at patients undergoing chemotherapy in corridors due to severe congestion.

In response, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of Information, Communication, Technology, and National Guidance, outlined plans for constructing regional cancer centers in Gulu, Mbale, Mbarara, and Arua to ease the burden on the national institute and address the escalating cancer cases. Dr. Baryomunsi highlighted the completion of the Gulu center and ongoing construction in Mbale as steps toward mitigating the overwhelming healthcare challenges faced by patients across the country.

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