By Robert Ariaka
Arua April 7, 2017
Email: ariaka2012robert@gmail.com
Tel: +256777374441
The junior
minister for primary health care Dr. Joyce Moriku in the presence of her boss
Dr. Ruth Acheng threw out journalists from various media house in Arua from
attending a crisis meeting organized in Arua regional referral hospital.
The meeting
which showed high tempers from the district councilors of Arua led by their
chairman Wadri Sam Nyakua together with the health ministers and board of
directors ministry of health, the District Police Commander, the Resident
District Commissioner, District Health Officer and the former member of
parliament Christine Abia is set to discuss the mess in Arua hospital ranging
from corruption, increasing death of patients and poor administration.
The
councilors first reject the meeting to be chaired by the already disposed board
chairman Ezati Ezaruku and asked the minister to chair the meeting on grounds
of local disagreement.
When it was
time for introduction, various leaders identified themselves including the
journalist from New Vision, Arua one, daily Monitor, Voice of life, Radio Pacis
and West Nile Press association. Just after the introductions, Dr. Moriku asked
the journalists to move out of the hospital board room arguing the discussion
doesn’t need the media but they will be briefed on the resolutions.
The
councilors resisted the decision of the minister, but the various media house
representative’s obliged and moved out of the meeting waiting for the media
briefing from the health minister. Prior to the meeting at Arua hospital board
room, Minister Ruth Acheng meet the district councilors for a brief discussion
and cited communication gap as one challenge in the district and the hospital.
On Thursday March 30, Arua district
council in a council seating resolved to dispose off the hospital board
chairman Ezati Ezaruku over the increasing death tolls in the hospital, poor
administration and failure to account for alleged corruption.
Council resolutions arose on reports
and communication of the district chairman Arua Wadri Sam Nyakua that, 220
patients died from the hospital from September 2016 to January 2017 arguing the
board chairman failed to submit any report to the council for action from the
time he was appointed for the three years.
The report read indicates that between
September 2016 to January 2017, 92 children died in the children’s ward due to
lack of blood, 14 mothers who come for deliveries died mostly during operations
in the facility. The mid wives are forced to use torches and phone lights to
deliver mothers due to lack of power.
And 113 other patients died from other
wards which the chairman and the councilor believe are a result of negligence.
Wadri says the death toll is high and
as the district, they can’t seat and watch people die especially mothers and
children. The councilors deliberated and recommended the recalling of Ezati
Ezaruku as the board chairman.
Wadri said when he wrote a letter to
the director and board over the mess in the hospital, Dr. Odu in response said
the hospital is autonomous and only and responsible to answer to the central
government but not the district.
Dr. Odu recently told New Vision he is only
answerable to his boss but not the media. Over the issue of the theft of
properties like the autoclave machine, he directed our reporter to the police
investigations.
Other issues the council debated on are
the fraudulent procurement of works and equipment leading to loss of funds,
theft of generator, autoclave machine and the 253 million which was before the
PAC and has never been accounted.
When contacted on Phone Ezaruku said he
is not going to panic with the decision of the district council since he is
accountable to the minister who appointed him. He says his immediate move will
be to sue the district council and the chairperson in person for defamation.
Ezaruku said he is still the board
chairman Arua regional referral hospital and there for will continue working
until when the minister recalls him. He said there is no council document which
appointed him to represent the district.
End
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