Agency
Gulu Regional Referral Hospital management have pledged sweeping reforms in healthcare service delivery following serious allegations of patient neglect, arrogance, and mistreatment by some staff.
The commitment was made during a community baraza held on Thursday at the hospital premises in Gulu City.
The meeting convened by the Hospital management aimed to bridge the gap between the community and hospital leadership while addressing persistent challenges affecting service delivery.
Patients in attendance however shared painful testimonies of poor care, citing neglect, unprofessional conduct, and lack of empathy from some health workers.
Palmer Alum, 31, from Wii Lacic village in Bobi Sub-county, Omoro District, recounted a traumatic experience at the hospital’s maternity ward. She said she was abandoned by a midwife while in active labour on November 28, 2025.
According to Alum, despite her desperate pleas, the midwife allegedly told her that her shift had ended and she abandoned her to deliver herself unassited.
Another patient, Lydia Ayoo, described a frustrating experience at the children’s ward. She said she was asked to seek a Complete Blood Count (CBC) test from a private facility despite having only 20,000 shillings.
Irene Atim, a peasant farmer, highlighted the impact of language barriers and excessive smartphone use by health workers during consultations.
In response, hospital management acknowledged the concerns and pledged to take corrective action.
Dr. Peter Mukobi, the hospital’s Senior Executive Consultant, assured the community that reforms would be implemented within six months.
Hospital Principal Administrator Walter Uryek-Wun apologized on behalf of the institution, acknowledging reports of corruption, negligence, and patient mistreatment.
He actually revealed that some staff refer patients to private clinics for personal gain through commissions and urged the public to report such cases
Uryek-Wun added that management has taken steps to curb staff negligence, including restricting internet access, installation of bio-metric machines to register staff attendance on duty, CCTV to monitor critical departments.
Others measures include introduction of client satisfaction survey to assess staff attitude and client satisfaction with their services, and strengthening the reward and sanction committees to address general complaints.
Built in 1934, the Hospital currently serves an estimated 500 patients both in the Outpatient Department and in-Patient on a daily basis despite its limited staff.
The facility has a staffing structure of 1,273 staff but only 378 are on duty.
