Who said what during the Lira RR hospital stakeholders meeting?

Lira | On Wednesday, March 6, 2025, Lira Regional Referral Hospital hosted a stakeholders’ meeting, which brought together local leaders, health officials, and community members to discuss the hospital’s services and challenges.

Over 100 people attended the meeting, which provided an opportunity for stakeholders to share their concerns and suggestions for improving healthcare services in Lango and beyond.

Some attendees expressed concerns about the quality of care, patient wait times, charges in the private wing, and the need for more health workers.

Others praised the hospital administrators and the guidance of Lira City woman MP and Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero for the outstanding work done in the hospital’s development over the last three years.

Dr. Odur Andrew, hospital director, presented a report on the hospital’s achievements and challenges, which included a high patient turnout, staffing shortages, and a dilapidated structure that has resulted in patient overcrowding due to limited space.

Dr. Odur reported 25% staffing gaps and stated that the hospital’s staff numbers are less than the required 4,000 to the current 1,200.

He revealed that they were allocated shs340 million in the previous fiscal year, which was insufficient given the number of patients and medicine for the period.

Dr Juliet Adongo Ocol, who works in the paediatric and child health department, blamed the increased number of newborn babies in the healthcare unit on teenage pregnancy in Lango.

She stated that child mothers lack sensitisation and avoid antenatal care, among other challenges.

Dr. Odongo Bosco Ekwam discussed the minor and major services provided in the surgery department. He gave examples of prostate surgery, cancer, and problems related to internal injuries caused by car accidents.

He reported 96 patients who underwent successful surgeries between 2022 and March 6, 2025. The majority of cases are caused by motor vehicle crashes, he said.

Only seven of the 96 were female, while the rest were male.

The meeting also discussed the hospital’s private wing, which provides specialized services like dialysis and CT-scans. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of clear guidelines and regulations to govern the private wing’s operations.

Dr. Fred Nyankori, chairman of the Lira Regional Referral Hospital board, reported receiving a CT-scan and working on the road to the police quarters across the hospital grounds.

He informed the meeting about some of the things that the board cannot do, such as staff recruitment, which is handled by the public service, and hospital structure construction, which should be done by the government if a budget is allocated.

He expressed gratitude to the hospital management for their efforts.

The meeting also covered the issues of staffing and equipment shortages, the necessity of increased funding for the health sector, and the significance of community involvement in health promotion.

Beatrice Lagada, a board member at National Medical Stores, informed the meeting about the drugs sent quarterly as essential medicines and supplies.

She requested that local leaders and the RCC office use government airtime on radios and allow health experts to educate the public about how government facilities operate.

A representative from the Ministry of Health, Dr Muwanja Moses, assistant commission clinical service, told the meeting that Lira Regional Referral has always strived to provide better health services than other Ugandan hospitals.

Dr Muwanja stated that out of the country’s 18 regional hospitals, Lira is one of five with a functional CT-scan machine and a higher number of specialists than other referrals.

There are 15 different health specialists at Lira RRH.

He noted that government priorities require money and that it cannot do everything at once, citing hospital infrastructure and staff recruitment as examples.

Dr. Muwanja urged the Lango community to always thank the government for its efforts in the health sector, despite limited resource allocations that account for less than 9% of the total national budget.

Local leaders, including Mayor of Lira City Council Sam Atul and Resident City Commissioner Laurence Egole, pledged their support for the hospital and agreed to collaborate with the hospital administration to address the facility’s challenges.

Egole, who delivered the closing remarks, warned those who appear to be sabotaging government development, such as health facilities, to stop talking negatively about it.

The gathering was viewed as a step in the right direction for enhancing sub-regional healthcare services and encouraging cooperation amongst stakeholders.

By Regina Lalam Olal.