Residents of Ntungamo District have accused health workers at Itojo hospital of negligence, resulting in loss of lives.
Last Saturday, Ms Annet Katushabe, a mother of four, died after being operated on by the health workers at the facility.
The relatives blamed her death on the delay by the health workers to operate on the patient.
“We reached hospital and spent more than three hours without being attended to by any health worker.
When they arrived, they asked for airtime of Shs10,000 to call the doctor,” Mr Julius Mwebesa, the late Katushabe’s husband, told mourners at Nyakasa Village in Nyakyera Sub-county on Sunday.
“They later asked for other costs and many other essentials to help her deliver. When we collected whatever they wanted, there was no doctor to attend to her until it was too late,” he added.
Mr Mwebesa said by the time his wife was operated on, her uterus had raptured as she tried to push the baby.
“When she was later operated on, the child was safe but she had over bled and nothing much could be done. Getting blood in the hospital was also a challenge, she passed on,” he said.
The Ntungamo District health officer, Sr Beatrice Chemisut, on Monday acknowledged that there were two deaths of expectant mothers at the facility in a space of three days, which were being investigated.
“The two deaths are regrettable, we had taken a longer period without losing mothers and we are making a special audit in the causes,” she said.
The hospital medical superintendent, Dr Innocent Twesiime, said Katushabe died due to a ruptured uterus that caused uncontrollable bleeding.
The Ruhaama East constituency MP, Mr Benjamin Kamukama Katangura, said the alleged negligence at the facility should be investigated.
“Many people visiting Itojo hospital are complaining of negligence and corruption, medics are asking for money from patients before touching them, an issue that must be investigated and resolved,” he said.
According to the Ntungamo district Health Information Management System, five mothers die every year while giving birth in the district health facilities.
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