Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) board will on Friday meet to decide on the fate of its staff allegedly filmed taking bribes from patients.
State minister for Health in charge of General Duties on Tuesday confirmed that some UCI staff have been involved in corruption tendencies of demanding bribes from cancer patients.
This comes after media reports implicated UCI staff; Awusi Kaggwa, Cissy Namutale, and Moses Alinda for demanding bribes from cancer patients to use radiotherapy machine. The trio were captured with a secret camera appearing to be taking bribes.
“The vice had become rampant but the Institute’s board will meet on Friday to apprehend the culprits. However, the Institute is going to set up a private wing to be provided to those who want to pay money for private services,” Opendi said.
Recently, Ministry of Health and Mulago hospital management distanced itself from charges levied by the UCI on patients seeking treatment at the facility after it emerged that patients were being asked to pay between Shs 50,000-300,000 for radiotherapy treatment.
The executive director Uganda Cancer Institute, Dr Jackson Orem was quoted saying that the fees being charged was part of a pilot study to determine how much money the institute can charge patients in a bid to raise revenue for operations of the institute.
This move was denied by Dr Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary ministry of Health who said that her ministry was not aware that the institute charges patients for services, while Dr Baterana Byarugaba, executive director Mulago hospital, said that it is illegal for health workers to solicit money from patients seeking health services.
