By: Melanie Aanyu

The State House Health Monitoring officials have camped in Mbale City to investigate, among others, allegations of extortion of money from patients at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.

This comes after the media, last week exposed how extortion rings have risked patients’ lives at the hospital.

The two-week investigation unearthed a cartel involving some doctors, nurses, clinicians, and administrative support staff at the blood bank, guards, and other attendants that work together with private clinics near the hospital.

Dr Ayella Ataro, the assistant director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, wondered why medical personel send patients to private laboratories yet the facility has a good one.

The State House officials found the medical store with drugs yet the doctors refer patients to buy drugs from pharmacies. The officials also discovered that the scan and X-ray room had been closed for some time.

According to Dr Ataro, some oxygen cylinders are rusty because they are exposed to the sun and rain, a sign of poor administration.


During the meeting at the facility , three guards and a hawker were arrested on accusations of sneaking away patients from the hospital and two doctors are on the run.

Police said that the suspects are detained at Mbale City Police Station pending investigations.