A group of intern doctors at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital are raising concerns over insecurity and the lack of accommodation near the facility,” said the hospital spokesperson.
“The intern doctors were deployed at the hospital in August 2023 by the government through the Ministry of Health. However, due to a shortage of saff accommodation at the hospital, they had to rent housing in Kabale town at their own expense,” the spokesperson continued.
“The intern doctors are now facing security challenges as criminals target them when leaving for night duties,” added the spokesperson.
“In the past three weeks, there have been four separate incidents of criminal attacks on the intern doctors, resulting in the theft of their belongings, including laptops and money,” said Dr. Osinde Ochieng, the Head of Interns at the hospital. “This has raised concerns about their safety and hindered their ability to provide medical services, especially during nighttime shifts.”
“Four medical interns have already been victims of these attacks, and it’s a situation we cannot ignore any longer,” Dr. Ochieng emphasized.
Dr. Oscar Melvin Gumisiriza, one of the affected interns, highlighted the financial strain caused by these incidents and expressed his fear that the situation might escalate to the point of physical harm or even death. “We had cases where our lives were threatened, and we can’t continue like this. We need a solution,” he urged.
“We call for negotiations between the hospital administration, the government, and the contractor responsible for building accommodation facilities for intern doctors,” Dr. Gumisiriza insisted.
Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Godfrey Nyakahuma, acknowledged the intern doctors’ concerns and stated, “When it gets to the point where our medical professionals fear for their lives, it’s a matter we must address urgently.
” He mentioned discussions about security measures, including the possibility of transporting doctors with night duties using a vehicle and establishing a police post at the facility.
Nyakahuma also shed light on the ongoing dispute between the construction company and the hospital administration over unpaid balances, which has delayed the handover of accommodation facilities.
“The construction company, Musuuza Building Contractors Limited, had been tasked with constructing accommodation for health workers and interns at a cost of 7.8 billion Shillings,” he explained. “The completion of the project faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cost overruns, resulting in an unpaid balance of 790 million Shillings.”
“Until this financial dispute is resolved, the contractor has refused to hand over the accommodation facilities and has deployed armed private security guards to protect the building,” Nyakahuma concluded.