Association of allied health professionals’ council of Uganda has closed six privately owned health facilities over safety concerns and non-compliance to standards.
Some of the laboratories in the clinics were found to be operated by medical students while others with qualified but without operating licenses from their professions bodies.
But patients found at one of the clinics protested the closure saying their lives have saved since Arua regional referral hospital and Ediofe health centre which they are supposed to go to are far away from them.
‘My baby would have died had it not been this clinic near to us, Arua regional hospital is far away and the bridge to Ediofe health centre is broken. In times of emergency, especially at night, boda-bodas are too expensive and so, these clinics near us do help,’ Ms Brenda Asianzu, a resident of Ezova cell, Ayivu West said on Thursday.
But Mr Michael Mubiru Kayizzi, the Quality Assurance Manager at Allied Health Professionals said they were carrying out the exercise to protect the public.
‘We are here because we are protecting the public, it is the command of the law, to get regulated service,’ he said.
Mr Fred Alionzi, the proprietor of one of the closed health facilities appealed for leniency saying he was the sole breadwinner and could not sit at home.
‘When I completed my studies at school of health, I left huge school balances so I could not sit to get my transcript. And I am working here in order to get money to offset the balances and attain a licence. I could also not sit at home, I had to look for ways of making ends meet,’ Alionzi stated.
An imaging centre was also closed for using unqualified staff, and patients who had been referred for scanning from Arua regional referral were told to leave and their money refunded.
What is demanded?
For one to operate smoothly, requires a clinical officer who works under a supervisor for at least 4 years after school, and pays at least Shs300,000 to get a practicing license.