Members of Parliament have expressed considerations following studies that prime charges are being charged on the non-public wing of the Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital.
Buhweju County Member of Parliament, Hon. Francis Mwijukye raised the difficulty stating that the excessive charges charged on ladies for session and antenatal care to supply are unfair.
“Yesterday I used to be at Mulago Specialised Hospital to go to a girl who delivered and was charged Shs2 million for a caesarian part. This was a main instructor who couldn’t afford the charges and I’m wondering what number of ladies can afford such prices,” Mwijukye mentioned.
Mwijukye was responding to a movement urging authorities to undertake resolutions of the Second Women Parliament on at a sitting of the House on Wednesday, 12 March 2025. He mentioned it’s displeasing for a authorities funded hospital to cost Shs890,000 for anesthesia, Shs800,000 for antenatal care and Shs800,000 for regular deliveries.
“I’m wondering how such insurance policies had been arrived at with the Ministry of Health. We can’t proceed to speak about addressing the plight of ladies but in the case of implementation it stays rhetoric,” mentioned Mwijukye.
MPs noticed the necessity for the Ministry of Health to reign over operations of the non-public wings in all authorities hospitals saying medics appear to have uncared for the free providers accessed by the bulk.
“Government should come out and handle what is going on within the public wings of the hospital the place providers are free however one has to attend for six months or a yr to obtain therapy,” Mwijukye added.
Bukanga County MP, Hon. Stephen Kangwagye mentioned the coverage to cost charges in a single part of a public hospital stays skewed because it discourages service supply within the part the place providers are freely provided.
“Most of our moms in our constituencies can’t afford the non-public wing; you discover them mendacity within the corridors of hospitals as they await lengthy hours to be served. We must see methods to entice the eye of docs within the public wing as effectively,” Kangwagye mentioned.
The Minister of Information, Communication, Technology and National Guidance, Hon. Chris Baryomunsi criticised what he referred to as commercialisation of the hospital saying authorities’s intention to introduce a non-public part in public hospitals was not about commercialisation.
“Ministry of Health ought to be capable to look into that coverage and cut back charges being charged in authorities hospitals as a result of the intention was to supply fast providers to those that can afford however to not put exorbitant figures like Sh2 million on caesarian part,” Baryomunsi mentioned.
The Minister of State for Health (General Duties), Hon. Anita Kawooya pledged to observe up on the studies saying, “it’s a authorities coverage however you can’t ask somebody to pay Shs2 million even when it’s a non-public wing’.
The movement for a decision of Parliament urging authorities to think about the resolutions of the Second Women Parliament was moved by Lira District Woman MP, Hon. Linda Auma and adopted with its 30 resolutions.
The resolutions included appeals for presidency to make sure continuity of training for women who turn into pregnant whereas in class, a rise within the training price range by 20 per cent to have the ability to present gender responsive amenities in training establishments, strict enforcement of all insurance policies in opposition to gender based mostly violence and promotion of ladies participation in management.
The Speaker Anita Among directed the related ministries to current motion studies on resolutions inside three months.
