Concern is mounting among leaders and residents in Soroti City following allegations of widespread extortion and inadequate medical services at Princess Diana Health Centre IV, a government facility expected to provide affordable healthcare.
The matter surfaced during a recent Soroti City Council sitting, where leaders raised concerns that patients are being forced to pay for services that should be free. Soroti City Council Youth Male Representative, Hon. John Junior Ekutelek Okwii, tabled the issue in a motion, noting that many patients are allegedly charged before receiving care.
“As far as money extortion is concerned, something has gone wrong at Princess Diana Health Centre IV, especially since the departure of Dr Alfred Anyonga. This is a matter that must be urgently investigated,” Okwii said. He added that despite the government supplying medicines and facilitating the facility, patients are treated as though they are in a private hospital.
“These are services funded by the government and supervised by the city, but patients are being asked to pay significant sums. This must stop,” he emphasized. Similar concerns were raised by Soroti City Female Youth Representative, Hon. Agwang Harriet, who described a dire shortage of midwives, recalling that she encountered only one midwife handling multiple deliveries.
“This creates serious risks for expectant mothers. At one point, patients were forced to hire additional help, and the money paid would be shared among staff,” she said.
The allegations were corroborated by Soroti City Assistant Resident City Commissioner for the Eastern Region, Okiring Sam, who said he personally observed serious gaps during a fact-finding visit. “I visited the facility together with the deputy RCC and observed serious gaps, especially in the theatre section.
There is reportedly only one staff member responsible for preparing patients for surgery, working both day and night,” he said. Okiring added that patients are sometimes forced to hire the same overworked personnel during off-duty hours, creating opportunities for illegal charges.
According to Okiring, patients are allegedly charged between UGX 200,000 and UGX 300,000 depending on their perceived financial status. “They even ask about your husband and what he does before determining how much to charge. We witnessed a case where a patient was asked for UGX 20,000 just to be attended to,” he said.
He warned that the situation is critical and that patients unable to pay are sometimes denied services altogether. “This is a government facility; if you don’t have money, you are not attended to. That is unacceptable,” he added.
Leaders also questioned why such practices persist despite government provision of essential drugs and increased salaries for health workers. In response, Soroti City Health Officer Dr. Alfred Anyonga acknowledged the concerns, noting that similar complaints had been raised previously. “Last year, we addressed a similar issue by holding meetings across various health facilities and transferring some staff. Now that the issue has resurfaced, I will visit Princess Diana Health Centre IV, engage the staff and present a report to the authorities,” he said.
The renewed allegations have sparked calls for urgent investigations and reforms to restore public trust and ensure residents receive healthcare services without exploitation. Local leaders have urged authorities to act swiftly to curb malpractice and improve staffing levels, particularly in maternity and theatre departments.
As scrutiny intensifies, the situation at Princess Diana Health Centre IV highlights broader concerns about accountability and service delivery in public health facilities across the region.
