HealthLocal News
Govt tasks new council leaders to address negligence among doctors
Govt tasks new council leaders to address negligence among doctors
The Ministry of Health has unveiled a new leadership of the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) to regulate and enforce healthcare and medical education standards in the country.
During the swearing-in ceremony in Mulago on Wednesday, Ms Margaret Muhanga, the State Minister for Primary Healthcare, tasked the UMDPC to step up efforts to protect the public from harmful malpractices by doctors.
Citing personal experiences at Mulago and Fort Portal hospitals, Ms Muhanga said she has faced harassment from the doctors. She said the doctors only started acting ethically after knowing she was a minister.
“We appreciate your service to humanity because God can only heal us but the person treating you is the most critical and most important. The only challenge is that there are characters who come and spoil the image of all doctors, like people who make patients undergo cesarean section when patients don’t want (need) it,” she said.
Ms Muhanga narrated that last year at Mulago hospital, a doctor refused to admit her brother to the ward because the medic thought she was a poor woman who could not afford the services in the public facility’s special wing.
She said it was only until someone informed the doctor that she was dealing with a Minister that he took quick action to handle her brother.
“Treat people with kindness and empathy, whoever they are. Even if they come to you, crippling (limping) I think this is your ethics. It would help if you treated people with kindness. Many public members don’t know their rights, so even when they get these issues, they don’t report them, they just keep quiet. They just pray that God will save them from that health worker.
Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director General at the ministry, asked the UMDPC to expedite the investigations into negligence by doctors and discipline the ones in the wrong because their acts can cause death.
Prof Pius Okong of the Health Service Commission on the other hand asked the UMDPC to help the government in addressing issues of absenteeism and dual employment –especially among those working in public facilities.
Prof Joel Okullo, the UMDPC chairperson, said they have been increasing efforts to ensure discipline and streamline training standards. He said they have suspended around 10 doctors this year because of negligence.
“Two months ago, we took disciplinary action against about 10 doctors over negligence. We suspended three doctors from Bugiri, we also suspended three doctors from some clinics in Kamukya, we suspended some doctors from town,” he said.
He, however, said they are faced with constraints such as finances. He said the council gets only Shs2 billion out of the Shs8 billion required for their annual operations despite the growing population of health workers and facilities to monitor.
Among the new or continuing members of the council are Prof Okullo, Dr Mwebesa, Dr Mark Muyanga, Dr Maxwell Okello, Dr Daniel Tumwine, Prof Joseph Kigozi, Dr Ayub Twaha, Dr Ivan Kisuule.
While the outgoing members of the council include Dr Sarah Kiguli, Dry Osam Nsubuga, Dr Apollo Epuwatt and Dr Katumba Gubala.
