The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The State House Health Monitoring Unit picked up Mulago National Referral Hospital boss, Dr. Baterana Byarugaba in connection to ongoing investigations into fraudulent deals amounting to Shillings 20.5 billion, URN has learnt.
His arrest on Tuesday followed the arrest of four people believed to have been involved in the irregular procurement of two firms with forged documents to provide services at the hospital.
According to the Health Monitoring Unit, the hospital head is being questioned on various inconsistencies, unexplained procurements and other issues at the hospital.
Dr Warren Namara, the head of the unit says that Baterana was arrested for various management inconsistencies including hiring and the management of human resource.
“This is one of the many inconsistencies that we are questioning him about but they’re are actually many other management related issues. And these go across human resources, medicines, drugs and other things at the hospital,” he said.
According to Dr Namara, the unit discovered various inconsistencies during their routine audit of the hospital. Dr Namara says the audit revealed improper accounting of funds at the hospital, forgery of accounting details by service providers, which led to loss of government funds.
The audit report also cites embezzlement and gross misuse of offices by certain administrators at the hospital. “The issues at Mulago are much bigger than I can reveal now but we have questioned top management to try and get a clear picture,” he said.
A team of investigators attached to the unit interogated Dr Baterana at their offices in Naguru. Dr. Namara said that he was still recording a statement by the time of filing this story.
Dr Byarugaba has served as the executive director of Mulago National Referral hospital for 19 years. He was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni to improve health service and fight corruption that had bedeviled the institution.
His appointment followed an investigation by the Health Monitoring Unit into allegations of corruption and mismanagement that saw the transfer of the then Executive Director Dr. Edward Ddumba.
*****
URN
