I am an Assistant Lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. I teach Political Economy, Population planning and Development, Health Leadership and management. With interests in Health policy and governance, Public policy research and I am a PhD student at Mbarara University.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic causes new challenges to women and their babies who still need ... more Background: The COVID-19 pandemic causes new challenges to women and their babies who still need to access postnatal care amidst the crisis. The novel application of social network technologies (SNTs) could potentially enhance access to healthcare during this difficult time. Objectives: This study describes the challenges experienced in accessing maternal and child health services by women with limited or no education during this COVID-19 pandemic and discusses the potential of SNTs to support maternal and child health amidst this crisis. Methods: We administered surveys to women who had recently given birth in a rural setting and interviewed a purposively selected subset to ascertain their experiences of accessing maternal and child health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis involved descriptive analysis of quantitative data using STATA 13 to describe study participants' characteristics, and content analysis of qualitative data to derive categories describing maternal health challenges. Results: Among 50 women, the median age was 28 years (interquartile range 24-34), 42 (84%) completed upper primary education. Access to the health facility was constrained by transport challenges, fear of contracting COVID-19, and delays at the facility. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, 42 (84%) women missed facility visits, 46 (92%) experienced financial distress, 43 (86%) had food insecurity, and 44 (88%) felt stressed. SNTs can facilitate remote and timely access to health services and information, and enable virtual social connections and support. Conclusion: SNTs have the potential to mitigate the challenges faced in accessing maternal and child health services amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2021
The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between rewards, and performance of Health... more The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between rewards, and performance of Health Centre IV workers in greater Mbarara District. The constructs of rewards include; salary, performance bonus, recognition and promotion. This study used cross-sectional, explanatory and correlational approaches. Health center IV workers data were collected by means of a questionnaire survey from a sample of 200 health workers from 11 health centres from greater Mbarara district. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. Results show that rewards significantly affect health workers' performances. Therefore, once health centres IV have appropriate reward strategies for their health workers in health facilities, they are likely to work hard by meeting deadlines, being available at their work station and they would eventually enhance on job performance. It is further recommended that all health policy makers and implementators at both Ministry of health and central government should always emphasize the general wellbeing of all health workers in every health facility.
Uganda is home to over 1 million refugees and asylum seekers. The origin of refugees in Uganda is... more Uganda is home to over 1 million refugees and asylum seekers. The origin of refugees in Uganda is an unending crisis in the neighboring countries. Rwanda poses a big threat of ending the refugee problem as the host country has accommodated these refugees for over decades with no hopes to return. The two strands (old and new cases loads) make repatriation challenging due to divergent views and attitudes. The paper examines the relationship between the two strands of Rwandan refugees living in Nakivale settlement. Another niche in this paper is focused on how these refugees live with the host communities of Ugandan origin living around the settlement and answers partly why voluntary repatriation has not been realized among Rwandan refugees living in Uganda.
International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2018
Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including healt... more Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting.Methodology: Data were collected using qualitative methods in January 2017 through interview (using semi-structured questions) at Ruharo Mission Hospital (RMH) administration, health workers, district health office and used a structured questionnaire for patients/clients. This was a nascent study, with a sample size of 22 respondents. The hospital has three departments; Organized Useful Rehabilitation Services (OURS), General Medical Services (...
Internationa Journal of Social Science Studies, 2018
Background: Uganda's government has embraced private provision of social services including healt... more Background: Uganda's government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting.
Internatoional Journal of Social Science Studies, 2018
Abstract
Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services includ... more Abstract Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting. Methodology: Data were collected using qualitative methods in January 2017 through interview (using semi-structured questions) at Ruharo Mission Hospital (RMH) administration, health workers, district health office and used a structured questionnaire for patients/clients. This was a nascent study, with a sample size of 22 respondents. The hospital has three departments; Organized Useful Rehabilitation Services (OURS), General Medical Services (GMS) and Eye Department (ED). All the departments of the hospital were represented in this study. Results: The hospital is a Church of Uganda project and runs a budget of 5 billion shillings ($ 1,351,351.4) annually, had multiple sources of funding including PHC funding annually and that, health services were delivered adequately to clients. Much as some services were accessed at no costs, other services like eye treatment were found expensive on the side of clients. The hospital’s hybrid mode of delivering health services through outreaches and facility-based services was cherished, however it had no ambulance and relied only on a hospital van. Conclusions and Recommendations: Our study concluded that if private providers are supported under the partnership arrangement, they can adequately deliver services to the clients and decongest the public facilities. We recommend that the government devote funds to support the hospital through employing more sub-seconded staff, procuring medicines, and ambulances to enable it to subsidize services especially eye treatment and other services not supported under the partnership.
Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare is one of the approaches that has been embraced in Ugan... more Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare is one of the approaches that has been embraced in Uganda’s health sector to realize a change in deteriorating health services. In Mbarara municipality there are many facilities that have embraced the partnerships and the study in four private health facilities bases on some of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) facilities to document the contribution of these private partners in the health sector. The study used mixed methods; qualitative and quantitative and two designs descriptive and case study. A sample of 58 respondents was drawn from health workers, clients (patients seeking healthcare from these facilities on the day of data collection), health inspector and hospital administrators from the 4 facilities. From the findings, 67.2% of the patients who sought services from these facilities were females and 32.8% males, majority of clients were peasants by occupation, average number of days spent inpatients (admitted) in the hospital was 3 days and for outpatient department, patients were spending an average of 81.6 minutes an equivalent of 1hour and 21minutes. The services supported under the partnership include: ART drugs and HIV/AIDS care, immunization, maternal child health, anti-malarial treatment, malaria control programs including provision of free mosquito nets to community members and outreach programs. Some of the services are free, others subsidized to make them affordable to users. The facilities get support in form of Primary Health Care (PHC) fund to support outreach programs, some hospitals had sub-seconded staff, get medical supplies from Joint Medical Stores (JMS), medical access and National Medical Stores (NMS). These facilities also get funding from charities and donors. Clients seeking ART meet a cost between Uganda shs 15,000 and 20,000/= to have them registered at the facility. Other healthcare services offered in these facilities are subsidized and clients meet a cost between Uganda shs 10,000 and 25,000 for outpatients and 25,000 to 50,000/= for inpatients depending on the number of days spent in the hospital. The clients’ user fees is the main source of revenue for these facilities. Patients requiring operation services found it expensive for example at RMH found the packages for eye operate costing 230,000 and 350,000= shs for one and both eyes respectively. Beneficiaries’ satisfaction was generally ranked higher than in public facilities and 97.1% of the patients would prefer to visit a Public Private Partnership facility the next visit. The study concluded that Public Private Partnership in health are making a difference, clients appreciate the healthcare packages under the partnerships. Patients turn up in faith based facilities was found higher than in non-faith based. PPP have created external links with other countries as they offer charities and donations to subsidize the services more. The study recommended that support to these private facilities be increased from the current amount, and other forms of support be given. The Primary Health Care fund for Mbarara Community Hospital should be re-instated to make it more efficiency. Continuous monitoring of the services provided in these facilities should be ensured such that they don’t deteriorate like it is a case in public facilities. A theatre at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital should be completed and handle more pediatric cases as it’s a referral for these cases in western region. This will reduce referral cases at Cure hospital.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic causes new challenges to women and their babies who still need ... more Background: The COVID-19 pandemic causes new challenges to women and their babies who still need to access postnatal care amidst the crisis. The novel application of social network technologies (SNTs) could potentially enhance access to healthcare during this difficult time. Objectives: This study describes the challenges experienced in accessing maternal and child health services by women with limited or no education during this COVID-19 pandemic and discusses the potential of SNTs to support maternal and child health amidst this crisis. Methods: We administered surveys to women who had recently given birth in a rural setting and interviewed a purposively selected subset to ascertain their experiences of accessing maternal and child health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis involved descriptive analysis of quantitative data using STATA 13 to describe study participants' characteristics, and content analysis of qualitative data to derive categories describing maternal health challenges. Results: Among 50 women, the median age was 28 years (interquartile range 24-34), 42 (84%) completed upper primary education. Access to the health facility was constrained by transport challenges, fear of contracting COVID-19, and delays at the facility. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, 42 (84%) women missed facility visits, 46 (92%) experienced financial distress, 43 (86%) had food insecurity, and 44 (88%) felt stressed. SNTs can facilitate remote and timely access to health services and information, and enable virtual social connections and support. Conclusion: SNTs have the potential to mitigate the challenges faced in accessing maternal and child health services amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2021
The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between rewards, and performance of Health... more The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between rewards, and performance of Health Centre IV workers in greater Mbarara District. The constructs of rewards include; salary, performance bonus, recognition and promotion. This study used cross-sectional, explanatory and correlational approaches. Health center IV workers data were collected by means of a questionnaire survey from a sample of 200 health workers from 11 health centres from greater Mbarara district. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. Results show that rewards significantly affect health workers' performances. Therefore, once health centres IV have appropriate reward strategies for their health workers in health facilities, they are likely to work hard by meeting deadlines, being available at their work station and they would eventually enhance on job performance. It is further recommended that all health policy makers and implementators at both Ministry of health and central government should always emphasize the general wellbeing of all health workers in every health facility.
Uganda is home to over 1 million refugees and asylum seekers. The origin of refugees in Uganda is... more Uganda is home to over 1 million refugees and asylum seekers. The origin of refugees in Uganda is an unending crisis in the neighboring countries. Rwanda poses a big threat of ending the refugee problem as the host country has accommodated these refugees for over decades with no hopes to return. The two strands (old and new cases loads) make repatriation challenging due to divergent views and attitudes. The paper examines the relationship between the two strands of Rwandan refugees living in Nakivale settlement. Another niche in this paper is focused on how these refugees live with the host communities of Ugandan origin living around the settlement and answers partly why voluntary repatriation has not been realized among Rwandan refugees living in Uganda.
International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2018
Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including healt... more Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting.Methodology: Data were collected using qualitative methods in January 2017 through interview (using semi-structured questions) at Ruharo Mission Hospital (RMH) administration, health workers, district health office and used a structured questionnaire for patients/clients. This was a nascent study, with a sample size of 22 respondents. The hospital has three departments; Organized Useful Rehabilitation Services (OURS), General Medical Services (...
Internationa Journal of Social Science Studies, 2018
Background: Uganda's government has embraced private provision of social services including healt... more Background: Uganda's government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting.
Internatoional Journal of Social Science Studies, 2018
Abstract
Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services includ... more Abstract Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting. Methodology: Data were collected using qualitative methods in January 2017 through interview (using semi-structured questions) at Ruharo Mission Hospital (RMH) administration, health workers, district health office and used a structured questionnaire for patients/clients. This was a nascent study, with a sample size of 22 respondents. The hospital has three departments; Organized Useful Rehabilitation Services (OURS), General Medical Services (GMS) and Eye Department (ED). All the departments of the hospital were represented in this study. Results: The hospital is a Church of Uganda project and runs a budget of 5 billion shillings ($ 1,351,351.4) annually, had multiple sources of funding including PHC funding annually and that, health services were delivered adequately to clients. Much as some services were accessed at no costs, other services like eye treatment were found expensive on the side of clients. The hospital’s hybrid mode of delivering health services through outreaches and facility-based services was cherished, however it had no ambulance and relied only on a hospital van. Conclusions and Recommendations: Our study concluded that if private providers are supported under the partnership arrangement, they can adequately deliver services to the clients and decongest the public facilities. We recommend that the government devote funds to support the hospital through employing more sub-seconded staff, procuring medicines, and ambulances to enable it to subsidize services especially eye treatment and other services not supported under the partnership.
Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare is one of the approaches that has been embraced in Ugan... more Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare is one of the approaches that has been embraced in Uganda’s health sector to realize a change in deteriorating health services. In Mbarara municipality there are many facilities that have embraced the partnerships and the study in four private health facilities bases on some of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) facilities to document the contribution of these private partners in the health sector. The study used mixed methods; qualitative and quantitative and two designs descriptive and case study. A sample of 58 respondents was drawn from health workers, clients (patients seeking healthcare from these facilities on the day of data collection), health inspector and hospital administrators from the 4 facilities. From the findings, 67.2% of the patients who sought services from these facilities were females and 32.8% males, majority of clients were peasants by occupation, average number of days spent inpatients (admitted) in the hospital was 3 days and for outpatient department, patients were spending an average of 81.6 minutes an equivalent of 1hour and 21minutes. The services supported under the partnership include: ART drugs and HIV/AIDS care, immunization, maternal child health, anti-malarial treatment, malaria control programs including provision of free mosquito nets to community members and outreach programs. Some of the services are free, others subsidized to make them affordable to users. The facilities get support in form of Primary Health Care (PHC) fund to support outreach programs, some hospitals had sub-seconded staff, get medical supplies from Joint Medical Stores (JMS), medical access and National Medical Stores (NMS). These facilities also get funding from charities and donors. Clients seeking ART meet a cost between Uganda shs 15,000 and 20,000/= to have them registered at the facility. Other healthcare services offered in these facilities are subsidized and clients meet a cost between Uganda shs 10,000 and 25,000 for outpatients and 25,000 to 50,000/= for inpatients depending on the number of days spent in the hospital. The clients’ user fees is the main source of revenue for these facilities. Patients requiring operation services found it expensive for example at RMH found the packages for eye operate costing 230,000 and 350,000= shs for one and both eyes respectively. Beneficiaries’ satisfaction was generally ranked higher than in public facilities and 97.1% of the patients would prefer to visit a Public Private Partnership facility the next visit. The study concluded that Public Private Partnership in health are making a difference, clients appreciate the healthcare packages under the partnerships. Patients turn up in faith based facilities was found higher than in non-faith based. PPP have created external links with other countries as they offer charities and donations to subsidize the services more. The study recommended that support to these private facilities be increased from the current amount, and other forms of support be given. The Primary Health Care fund for Mbarara Community Hospital should be re-instated to make it more efficiency. Continuous monitoring of the services provided in these facilities should be ensured such that they don’t deteriorate like it is a case in public facilities. A theatre at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital should be completed and handle more pediatric cases as it’s a referral for these cases in western region. This will reduce referral cases at Cure hospital.
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Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting.
Methodology: Data were collected using qualitative methods in January 2017 through interview (using semi-structured questions) at Ruharo Mission Hospital (RMH) administration, health workers, district health office and used a structured questionnaire for patients/clients. This was a nascent study, with a sample size of 22 respondents. The hospital has three departments; Organized Useful Rehabilitation Services (OURS), General Medical Services (GMS) and Eye Department (ED). All the departments of the hospital were represented in this study.
Results: The hospital is a Church of Uganda project and runs a budget of 5 billion shillings ($ 1,351,351.4) annually, had multiple sources of funding including PHC funding annually and that, health services were delivered adequately to clients. Much as some services were accessed at no costs, other services like eye treatment were found expensive on the side of clients. The hospital’s hybrid mode of delivering health services through outreaches and facility-based services was cherished, however it had no ambulance and relied only on a hospital van.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Our study concluded that if private providers are supported under the partnership arrangement, they can adequately deliver services to the clients and decongest the public facilities. We recommend that the government devote funds to support the hospital through employing more sub-seconded staff, procuring medicines, and ambulances to enable it to subsidize services especially eye treatment and other services not supported under the partnership.
From the findings, 67.2% of the patients who sought services from these facilities were females and 32.8% males, majority of clients were peasants by occupation, average number of days spent inpatients (admitted) in the hospital was 3 days and for outpatient department, patients were spending an average of 81.6 minutes an equivalent of 1hour and 21minutes. The services supported under the partnership include: ART drugs and HIV/AIDS care, immunization, maternal child health, anti-malarial treatment, malaria control programs including provision of free mosquito nets to community members and outreach programs. Some of the services are free, others subsidized to make them affordable to users. The facilities get support in form of Primary Health Care (PHC) fund to support outreach programs, some hospitals had sub-seconded staff, get medical supplies from Joint Medical Stores (JMS), medical access and National Medical Stores (NMS). These facilities also get funding from charities and donors. Clients seeking ART meet a cost between Uganda shs 15,000 and 20,000/= to have them registered at the facility. Other healthcare services offered in these facilities are subsidized and clients meet a cost between Uganda shs 10,000 and 25,000 for outpatients and 25,000 to 50,000/= for inpatients depending on the number of days spent in the hospital. The clients’ user fees is the main source of revenue for these facilities. Patients requiring operation services found it expensive for example at RMH found the packages for eye operate costing 230,000 and 350,000= shs for one and both eyes respectively. Beneficiaries’ satisfaction was generally ranked higher than in public facilities and 97.1% of the patients would prefer to visit a Public Private Partnership facility the next visit.
The study concluded that Public Private Partnership in health are making a difference, clients appreciate the healthcare packages under the partnerships. Patients turn up in faith based facilities was found higher than in non-faith based. PPP have created external links with other countries as they offer charities and donations to subsidize the services more. The study recommended that support to these private facilities be increased from the current amount, and other forms of support be given. The Primary Health Care fund for Mbarara Community Hospital should be re-instated to make it more efficiency. Continuous monitoring of the services provided in these facilities should be ensured such that they don’t deteriorate like it is a case in public facilities. A theatre at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital should be completed and handle more pediatric cases as it’s a referral for these cases in western region. This will reduce referral cases at Cure hospital.
Background: Uganda’s government has embraced private provision of social services including health care. The involvement of private providers is an indicator that the public facilities are not sufficient enough to meet the high demands of the ever-increasing population. This has been done through partnership arrangements. This paper discusses the impact of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health care outcomes of the local population and opportunities for improving health outcomes, challenges facing private providers in a low income setting.
Methodology: Data were collected using qualitative methods in January 2017 through interview (using semi-structured questions) at Ruharo Mission Hospital (RMH) administration, health workers, district health office and used a structured questionnaire for patients/clients. This was a nascent study, with a sample size of 22 respondents. The hospital has three departments; Organized Useful Rehabilitation Services (OURS), General Medical Services (GMS) and Eye Department (ED). All the departments of the hospital were represented in this study.
Results: The hospital is a Church of Uganda project and runs a budget of 5 billion shillings ($ 1,351,351.4) annually, had multiple sources of funding including PHC funding annually and that, health services were delivered adequately to clients. Much as some services were accessed at no costs, other services like eye treatment were found expensive on the side of clients. The hospital’s hybrid mode of delivering health services through outreaches and facility-based services was cherished, however it had no ambulance and relied only on a hospital van.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Our study concluded that if private providers are supported under the partnership arrangement, they can adequately deliver services to the clients and decongest the public facilities. We recommend that the government devote funds to support the hospital through employing more sub-seconded staff, procuring medicines, and ambulances to enable it to subsidize services especially eye treatment and other services not supported under the partnership.
From the findings, 67.2% of the patients who sought services from these facilities were females and 32.8% males, majority of clients were peasants by occupation, average number of days spent inpatients (admitted) in the hospital was 3 days and for outpatient department, patients were spending an average of 81.6 minutes an equivalent of 1hour and 21minutes. The services supported under the partnership include: ART drugs and HIV/AIDS care, immunization, maternal child health, anti-malarial treatment, malaria control programs including provision of free mosquito nets to community members and outreach programs. Some of the services are free, others subsidized to make them affordable to users. The facilities get support in form of Primary Health Care (PHC) fund to support outreach programs, some hospitals had sub-seconded staff, get medical supplies from Joint Medical Stores (JMS), medical access and National Medical Stores (NMS). These facilities also get funding from charities and donors. Clients seeking ART meet a cost between Uganda shs 15,000 and 20,000/= to have them registered at the facility. Other healthcare services offered in these facilities are subsidized and clients meet a cost between Uganda shs 10,000 and 25,000 for outpatients and 25,000 to 50,000/= for inpatients depending on the number of days spent in the hospital. The clients’ user fees is the main source of revenue for these facilities. Patients requiring operation services found it expensive for example at RMH found the packages for eye operate costing 230,000 and 350,000= shs for one and both eyes respectively. Beneficiaries’ satisfaction was generally ranked higher than in public facilities and 97.1% of the patients would prefer to visit a Public Private Partnership facility the next visit.
The study concluded that Public Private Partnership in health are making a difference, clients appreciate the healthcare packages under the partnerships. Patients turn up in faith based facilities was found higher than in non-faith based. PPP have created external links with other countries as they offer charities and donations to subsidize the services more. The study recommended that support to these private facilities be increased from the current amount, and other forms of support be given. The Primary Health Care fund for Mbarara Community Hospital should be re-instated to make it more efficiency. Continuous monitoring of the services provided in these facilities should be ensured such that they don’t deteriorate like it is a case in public facilities. A theatre at Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital should be completed and handle more pediatric cases as it’s a referral for these cases in western region. This will reduce referral cases at Cure hospital.