Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, Director of Public Health at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, has ordered investigations into allegations that a private doctor has been using government facilities at Mukono General Hospital to operate on patients while charging them exorbitant fees.
The directive was issued during the National Community Health Baraza held on Friday evening at Kisowera Primary School in Mukono District.
The public dialogue was organized to strengthen community engagement, promote accountability and collect feedback aimed at improving health service delivery.
Responding to concerns raised by residents, Dr. Kyabayinze instructed Mukono District Health Officer Dr. Stephen Mulindwa to open a General Enquiry File with police to establish the facts surrounding the claims.
Residents had alleged that a doctor who is neither employed by government nor on the public payroll was using the hospital’s theatre to carry out surgeries for private gain.
“Doctor, have you heard? The doctor does not work in that facility, is not on the government payroll but uses the government theatre to operate patients. Open up a GEF for police to help us provide answers,” Dr. Kyabayinze directed during the meeting.
The allegations formed part of a wider set of complaints submitted in writing by community members. Among them were concerns about private doctors allegedly benefiting from public facilities, the deployment and conduct of intern doctors, and a lack of transparency regarding the operations of the hospital’s private wing.
On the matter of interns, Dr. Kyabayinze clarified that medical interns cease to hold that status once they complete their prescribed training period at a facility.
Mukono General Hospital has previously faced complaints about interns and volunteer medical workers allegedly demanding money from patients.
The hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr. Geoffrey Kasirye, defended the establishment of the private wing, saying it is legal and accessible only to patients who can afford to pay.
He maintained that the unit does not use government-supplied resources under Grade B services but follows its own procurement procedures, including purchasing medicines from the National Medical Stores.
Despite this explanation, several residents insisted that the private wing was prematurely established and poorly utilized.
Richard Aliwali, chairperson for persons living with HIV in Mukono, argued that very few patients request admission to the private wing, leaving the building largely empty while other departments remain overstretched.
He pointed to congestion in the maternity ward, where mothers are reportedly forced to give birth on the floor, and to situations where children and male patients share wards due to limited space.
Mary Kaitesi, a Village Health Team member from Namubiru, alleged that expectant mothers, especially those referred for caesarean sections, are charged heavily before receiving care.
She claimed that patients are billed between Shs300,000 and Shs600,000 depending on perceived social status and that some doctors delay attending to them until payment is made.
Dr. Kasirye dismissed the extortion claims, noting that similar allegations had surfaced previously, leading to arrests and the interdiction of some staff members, whose identities he declined to disclose. He added that mothers who pay fees fall under Grade A services.
Beyond the controversy over private practice and fees, community members called for increased facilitation and equipment for Village Health Teams, better resourcing of Health Centre IIs to support safe deliveries, and expansion of the hospital’s maternity ward.
Dr. John Paul Bagala, Technical Officer for Safe Motherhood at the Ministry of Health, said congestion at Mukono General Hospital reflects a positive shift, with more women abandoning traditional birth attendants in favor of delivering at health facilities.
He noted that government has strengthened Health Centre IVs across districts and elevated Kayunga General Hospital to regional referral status to ease pressure on facilities in and around Kampala.
He also said the Mukono District Health Officer had assured him that recruitment of additional medical workers was underway.
However, Resident District Commissioner Fatumah Ndisaba Nabitaka cast doubt on the immediacy of new recruitment, citing the absence of a functional District Service Commission in Mukono.
She explained that after four years without a commission, a newly constituted body was again suspended following allegations of bribery.
As a result, staffing gaps persist, leaving existing health workers overwhelmed and in need of shift arrangements to ensure effective service delivery.
The Baraza ended with a renewed call for transparency, stronger oversight and faster institutional reforms, as residents demanded that public health facilities serve the community equitably and free from exploitation.
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