The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The 70-year-old woman who has been stuck at Luwero Hospital has finally been reunited with her family after a media appeal.
Margaret Nanyonjo was transferred by the Police and admitted to Luwero Hospital on 30th December 2023 after she was involved in an accident. She was later discharged but failed to leave the hospital after failing to get in touch with relatives.
The hospital administrators also failed to trace her relatives because Nanyonjo had no National ID by the time she was admitted. She also revealed several places of residence due to mental breakdown.
This forced Ronald Ssonko the Medical Social officer at Luwero Hospital to launch an appeal on Thursday through the media asking relatives to pick Nanyonjo because they were no longer able to look after her.
Henry Mutyaba a resident of Mukono municipality said that their grandmother Nanyonjo disappeared from home after experiencing mental illness and since then they have been looking for her until they received information through the media that she is stuck at Luwero hospital.
Mutyaba, a grandson applauded Luwero Hospital for offering necessary medical attention to Nanyonjo saying they were not aware that she was admitted to the facility.
Nanyonjo couldn’t explain how she left Mukono municipality and ended up in Luwero but was excited upon seeing her grandsons.
Dr Bruno Oyik the Medical Superintendent of Luwero Hospital says that after media reports, they got calls from the relatives asking to pick Nanyonjo and they directed them to come for her.
Oyik adds that the relatives were interviewed before the hospital agreed to release Nanyonjo to return home on Friday.
Bruno also applauded the media for the role played in enabling the hospital and Nanyonjo to reach out to the relatives. He however decried increasing cases of patients abandoned at the facility.
According to the hospital, at least 20 patients are abandoned at the hospital per month.
The patients are either accident victims transferred to the hospital by Police or others referred there from the community health centers.
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