Two doctors have been arrested by the State House Health Monitoring Unit on charges related to their behavior at Bubulo Health IV in Manafwa District. Dr. Paul Muto Bukhota and Dr. Daniel Wenani are currently in custody at Manafwa Central Police Station. Dr. Muto faces accusations of neglecting his duties and holding positions in both government and a non-governmental organization, Baylor-Uganda. Meanwhile, Dr. Wenani is alleged to have falsely represented himself as a senior medical officer.
According to SP Mirriam Akullo, the deputy investigations head of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, “Dr. Muto has abandoned his work at the facility, while Mr. Wenani has been impersonating a senior medical officer.”
State House officials have been monitoring service delivery in government facilities in Manafwa District for several weeks. This scrutiny comes after reports of mismanagement in health services and an increase in maternal deaths attributed to neglect by health workers.
During their investigations, officials discovered 18 fictitious health centers and identified 75 health workers who were not accounted for. It was revealed that the district, which was supposed to have 92 health workers, actually had 167, resulting in an excess of 75 health workers.
Dr. Julian Nabatanzi, the deputy director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, explained that a four-week investigation found that some health workers were extorting money from patients, while others were engaged in fraudulent activities within health facilities.
Health workers in Manafwa District have faced scrutiny for various issues, including extortion, absenteeism, neglect of duty, rudeness, drug theft, and tardiness, among other concerns.
Two weeks ago, the police detained two medical officers from Bugobero Health Centre IV, Dr. Sarah Bulira and midwife Sandra Chemusto, in connection with the death of a pregnant woman and her baby. The pregnant woman, Billa Nambisawa, tragically passed away after failing to provide the Shs200,000 reportedly requested by the medical officers for their services.
In July of this year, the State House Health Monitoring Unit also arrested an enrolled nurse, Isaac Musila, and a driver attached to Bugobero Health Centre IV for absenteeism.