Teso leaders reject transfer of Soroti Hospital director

SOROTI, UGANDA: A section of leaders in Teso have petitioned the Ministry of Health challenging the transfer of Soroti Hospital Director, Dr Michael Mwanga.

Dr Mwanga is expected to hand over the office on Monday, January 31, 2022, to the new director Dr Ben Watmon who was transferred from Moroto Hospital.

But a letter authored by Soroti District Chairperson, Simon Peter Edoru Ekuu on behalf of Teso District Chairpersons raises an objection to the transfer of Dr Mwanga who has been in Soroti for just three years. In the letter, the chairpersons argue that the transfer is likely to negatively affect service delivery at Soroti Hospital.

They say that the designated director from Moroto Hospital has managerial issues at his workplace which they feel shouldn’t be extended to Soroti. “We have learnt that Dr Watmon has not managed Moroto Hospital well to the extent that he has been rejected by the community,” the letter reads, adding that the leaders in Teso are not comfortable with him taking over Soroti Hospital as the new director.

The letter which was sent to Dr Diana Atwiine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health also highlights the difficult time that the hospital went through before Dr Mwanga was deployed.“….You may be aware that Soroti has had turbulent times in the past over its leadership. This problem has generally improved under the current leadership”, the letter reads.

Ngora Woman MP Stella Isodo also raised objection to the transfers saying that Dr Mwanga should be given an opportunity to continue steering the hospital which has recently been famous for the successful Siamese twin operation.

The leaders say that Dr Mwanga’s leadership has eliminated issues that other directors couldn’t handle over the years. Sources in the hospital say that before Dr Mwanga assumed office, the staff in the hospital were divided into two factions; some in support of Dr Emmanuel Batibwe, the then Hospital Director and others working against him.

“Those in opposition would fight against the other party and politicians joined in the battle. This made the hospital appear like a battlefield and it was pathetic,” one of the sources who preferred anonymity said.

Dr Wilson Etolu, the Physician Consultant in the hospital says that Dr Mwanga has been a unifying factor for the staff and other stakeholders.

Within Dr Mwanga’s three years of leadership, Soroti is now a centre of excellence for neonatal care, eye care and COVID-19 management, according to records in the hospital.