Busoga Region Faces ENT Service Gap as Kyabirwa Clinic Suspends Operations

Patients in the Busoga region are experiencing a critical shortage of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services after the Kyabirwa Surgical Centre in Jinja District was forced to suspend its specialist clinic. The closure, attributed to the facility’s inability to secure doctors who could consistently offer services under its outpatient operating model, underscores a national deficit in specialized medical professionals.

According to Ms. Anna Turumanya Kalumuna, Executive Director of Kyabirwa Surgical Centre, the clinic’s unique model requires specialists to be available for immediate procedures and patient recovery before discharge on the same day. However, many ENT specialists also hold positions in government facilities, leading to scheduling conflicts and making it difficult to ensure consistent availability. The previous arrangement of having two to three specialists rotating days proved unsustainable.

“We believe in excellence, so we want to do it where we are 100 per cent sure the service will be consistent and available for our patients,” Kalumuna stated, adding that while efforts are underway to resume services, no reopening date has been set.

Patients are now being redirected to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital and other facilities, increasing the burden on these centers. Dr. Christine Adoch Olwedo at Rippon Medical Centre, for instance, is seeing an influx of patients from across Busoga and neighboring districts, with some facing long waits.

The shortage of ENT specialists is a symptom of a wider crisis in Uganda’s healthcare sector. Dr. Wilberforce Kabweru, National Chief Surgeon, noted a general scarcity of health workers in various specialties, including ENT, anesthesiology, surgery, nursing, and radiology. Factors contributing to this include limited recruitment, retirements, and the emigration of trained professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.

Government initiatives are in motion to bolster specialist services at regional referral hospitals, aiming to decentralize access to care. Plans include strengthening departments for general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and ENT. Recent health camps have also highlighted the prevalence of ENT conditions, particularly among children, emphasizing the urgent need for improved access to these vital services.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)