A 35-year-old pregnant woman has died in Pallisa after allegedly failing to get transport to reach Pallisa main hospital.
Perepata Atim is said to have endured pain for about seven hours until she died of complications after her husband reportedly failed to secure an ambulance to transport her from Kameke health centre III where she had been admitted to Pallisa Main hospital.
It’s alleged that Atim, president of Akisim village, Akisim Sub County developed birth complications and walked to Kameke health centre III, about 15kms from her home, for medical attention but was referred to the main hospital after the medics learnt that her baby had died.
Sandrine Anek, the nurse from Kameke HC III who attended to Atim, said that the deceased came to the hospital long after the fetus had died and she advised her caretakers to call the district task force for an ambulance to take her to Pallisa hospital.
“The mother came at around 8.30 am but then she did not first see the health worker. She went behind the labour ward. Then at around 10 she came and she was examined. That is when we found out that the foetus was already dead and she was in the second stage of labour…We couldn’t send her away and say let her push on the way…By 1.30 we called the ambulance, we called the administrator Pallisa hospital and he told us it is okay. We waited for the ambulance up to around 2 to 2.30 pm. I told my in-charge to call again. When she called, they told her that the ambulance was going to come for her. At around 3 pm the mother started becoming restless but of course, we were still waiting for the ambulance. At around 3.30 pm, she died.” Anek said.
Lokaki said the caretakers and the local leaders in the area tried to call the district task force for an ambulance in vain. John Olinga, the deceased’s husband faulted the district task force whom he says delayed to avail them with the ambulance to transfer his wife to Pallisa hospital.
However, Kyeyune Senyonjo, the Pallisa resident district commissioner (RDC) who also chairs the district task force denied receiving any call from Kameke health centre requesting for an ambulance.
John Michael Okurut, the district chairperson Pallisa, however, said that the district has only one ambulance which makes it practically impossible to pick all patients in time. He adds that the district is trying its best to ensure that evacuation of patients is made possible.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, public and private transport was banned – with only essential workers with approved stickers allowed to move. Patients in need of medicare are supposed to get movement permits from the RDCs although recently President Museveni said pregnant women are exempted and are free to move to seek health services.
