Mulago Hospital Faces Urgent Need for Specialist Recruitment, Budgetary Support
A report from the parliamentary committee on budget has highlighted critical shortages of specialist staff at Mulago National Referral Hospital, emphasizing the need for urgent recruitment to bolster manpower, particularly in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
According to the report, Mulago Hospital requires the recruitment of 139 specialists to address staffing deficiencies, especially in critical care, theatre, emergency, transplant medicine, reconstruction surgery, neurosurgery, geriatrics, and biomedical engineering.
The current budget allocation falls short of the required amount, with a deficit of approximately sh43.598b, leading to challenges in hiring essential staff. Despite previous allocations for recruitment, a moratorium on hiring prevented Mulago from filling critical positions.
The shortage of staff has significantly impacted the functioning of the ICU, with only a fraction of the required nurses and doctors available to operate the facility effectively. This has resulted in the underutilization of ICU beds, despite high demand for services.
To address these challenges, the committee recommends the immediate implementation of a Presidential directive to allow recruitment in entities with available wages. Additionally, it proposes allocating sh529b for priority recruitment of ICU nursing officers in the upcoming financial year.
The report also highlights deficiencies in dialysis services, with demand outstripping current supplies. An additional allocation of sh2b is recommended to address the shortfall in dialysis services, ensuring adequate provision for patients in need.
Furthermore, the Neurosurgery Department faces challenges in procuring essential medical consumables for emergency surgeries, leading to out-of-pocket expenditures by patients. The committee recommends allocating sh0.6b for the procurement of neurosurgery commodities to reduce financial burdens on patients and ensure the availability of necessary supplies.
