SOROTI – Authorities at Princess Diana Health Centre IV in Soroti City are on spot again for allegedly extorting money from patients.
In May, 2022, the facility again was on spot for extortion and absenteeism.
Caretakers of patients in the facility say they are forced to do garden work for some of the medical workers at the facility in order to obtain money to buy files required for their loved ones and get basic needs for themselves.
Hellen Anyakoit from Arapai Ward, Soroti city came to the facility with her grandchild suffering from malaria but she was asked to buy a medical file at a cost of Uganda shillings 3000 for the patient details to be taken.
She was forced to go to weed plants of one of the nurses so that she could get money for buying a file.
The staff according to information are charging patients Uganda shillings 3,000 to 5,000 to access a manila file that is supposed to be sold at 500/=.
Anyakoit however to a surprise was not sure of how much they would give her after the file but was hoping to get 10,000shs.
“The nurses come to wards and ask who needs to work, that’s how they get some of us, they count the number of footsteps and that’s where payment comes from, I get the money to support myself and child at the hospital” Another source who preferred anonymity told our reporter.
“I am glad that they don’t charge for medicines, the only big concern is on the files as it’s’ not negotiable and no receipt is issued to you after paying the money” she added
Meanwhile the in charge Princess Diana health Centre IV Dr. Alfred Anyonga denied any wrong saying some of the patients caretakers work in the nutrition farm for children.
“We plant greens that we give to the malnourished children at free cost and those who work in the garden do it at their own negotiation with the persons responsible” he said.
“As a government facility, we are not mandated to charge people money for a patient on things that are there. Princess Diana is one of the government facilities and we get many patients more than what we have, we admit many patients, most of them opt to say that they rather stay in and buy drugs from outside and get treated from the facility, we don’t sell drugs from here” he noted.
Dr. Anyonga said it’s mandatory for every patient to have a file and it was a decision from the city authority that resolved that the patients pay for files.
“When I came here, I asked how we go about the issue of files; I was told that it was a collective issue from the supervising team from the regional hospital, Town clerk who had a sitting that it was agreed and mandatory for every patient to have a file” he noted.
Edrine Benesa the Deputy RCC Soroti City East said in a statement to TNN that he will take action against the staff at the facility.