David Mafabi
8 August 2009
Sironko — Peter Gutaka of Bumulisha village went to Budadiri Health Centre IV in Sironko District to receive treatment for hernia on July 25, hoping to get relief from a disease that he had been battling since 1988. The treatment instead cost him his life.
When Gutaka, 58, arrived at the health centre, together with his wife Everlyn Gutaka, he found only the Clinical Officer John Wanokoba present and - thinking he was the doctor on duty - immediately presented his case. Mr Wanokoba took matters in his own hands, literally.
"He took us to the theatre, examined Gutaka before he told us that he was due for an operation at Shs250,000. We obliged, went home and sold an animal and we came back to the health centre for an operation," narrated Ms Gutaka.
Upon returning to the health centre, Mr Wanokoba waited for the night, sneaked them into the theatre and operated on her husband. "Mr Wanokoba told us the patient would be fine as long as we took the prescriptions given to us," Ms Gutaka narrated.
But the patient did not get fine. The situation got worse; the patient's stomach got swollen and Mr Wanokoba referred them to Mbale Main Hospital on July 27, where he was admitted at the old theatre as a surgical case and put on life support.
An attendant at the hospital, who declined to be named for fear of being reprimanded, said Gutaka had been admitted for another surgery but it could not take place because he was in critical condition. He died on July 28.
Sironko District Health Officer, Dr Peter Nabende, says upon learning of Mr Gutaka's case, summoned all staff of Budadiri Health Centre IV for a meeting at which he expected to get a detailed account of the incident. But Mr Wanokoba did not attend.
Dr Nabende says he then went to the police to make a statement as well as ask the District Police Commander Julius Ochen to help track down Mr Wanokoba.
"We have not yet arrested him but we are looking for him," said Mr Ochen. A nurse at Budadiri Health Centre, who declined to be named, said Mr Wanokoba had been carrying out operations for close to a year.
The district chairman, Mr Kibale Wambi, says incidences of people with basic medical skills, wanting to take advantage of desperate patients are common in Sironko, where there is only one qualified doctor employed by the government.
"In Sironko we have a single doctor who works as an administrator and at the same time as a medical doctor at various units whenever there are emergencies. So when he went to Kampala, Mr Wanokoba exploited his absence to operate a patient. It is sad and regrettable," Mr Kibale said.
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