Operations against illegal health facilities in Teso hits snag

Serere, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The operations against unlicensed health facilities and quack medical practitioners in the Teso sub-region have hit a snag.  The operations spearheaded by the Allied Health Professional’s Council of Uganda are currently being conducted in different districts across the Teso sub-region.

In most of the facilities visited, the practitioners either run away or lock themselves inside the houses they operate in until the officers leave.

In Ochaapa Town Council, a lady locked herself inside the house when she was found treating patients in a condemned building. The lady whose details were not easily accessible operates an illegal drug shop.

The operation targets the qualifications of health workers, their registration status, and licenses of operations among others.

Apollo Willis Opoya, the Allied Health Professionals Council’s Supervisor for the Teso and Karamoja sub-regions says that there’s a lot of illegal practice in the Teso sub-region, something worrying the health sector.

Michael Kayizzi Mubiru, the Quality Assurance Manager with the Allied Health Professionals Council- Uganda- says that as a result of illegal health practices, the country is registering increasing cases of delayed referrals of patients for proper medical management leading to death.

At least six people have been arrested from Serere and Ngora districts since Tuesday.

Those arrested have been charged with different offenses including practicing medicine without a license, operating unlicensed medical facilities, and employing unregistered staff, among other offenses.

According to the Allied Health Professionals in the Teso sub-region, more than 75 percent of the private health facilities are operating illegally. Some of the facilities reportedly have personnel who have never gone to any health training institute for medical courses.

Ezra Omongole, the LCIII Chairperson of Ochaapa Town Council says that they are also concerned with the high numbers of illegal health practitioners in the district.

The report from Soroti Regional Referral Hospital indicates that several patients have developed drug resistance, especially urinary tract infections (UTI) and malaria due to poor management of diseases at private health facilities.

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