Mbale Regional Referral Hospital Intensifies Fight Against Medical Negligence Through Specialized Capacity Building Training

Mbale Regional Referral Hospital has concluded a two-day multifaceted training aimed at strengthening professionalism, combating medical negligence, and improving health service delivery in line with Uganda’s Vision 2040 agenda.

The training, conducted during the March–June quarter as the hospital finalized departmental reports and concluded the financial year activities, brought together senior consultants, heads of departments, human resource experts, and legal professionals to discuss critical issues surrounding medical law, ethics, communication, and professional competence in healthcare delivery.

Speaking during the training, Dr. Obbo, Director of Mbale Regional Referral Hospital emphasized the importance of continuous capacity building for health workers within the hospital and across the Elgon sub-region and beyond.

He noted that regular refresher trainings are essential in reminding healthcare professionals of their duties and responsibilities while improving service delivery standards.

“We continuously remind ourselves of our roles as healthcare providers. Departmental meetings are mandatory and all efforts will be made to ensure continuous capacity building in order to improve service delivery across our catchment area and in line with Government objectives on health,” the Director said.

He added that Mbale Regional Referral Hospital has consistently maintained top rankings due to its commitment to continuous professional development and staff mentorship.

The training attracted participation from several senior consultants and heads of departments including Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, Community Health, Emergency Operations, FHI 360 Human Resource officials, and other senior staff members.

Legal consultant and spokesperson of the Bugisu Cultural Institution, Hon. Steven Masiga, who facilitated sessions on medical negligence and criminal liability in healthcare, defined medical negligence as a situation where a healthcare professional provides treatment below acceptable standards, resulting in injury, suffering, or worsening of a patient’s condition.

Masiga explained that negligence can also arise from omission or failure to perform duties expected of a prudent and careful medical practitioner.

“Medical negligence occurs when healthcare professionals fail to meet acceptable standards of care. For example, leaving surgical swabs or medical waste inside a patient during an operation constitutes negligence,” he explained.

Drawing from decided case law and statutory legal provisions, Masiga guided participants through the legal and financial consequences of negligence in healthcare settings.

He cited the famous Ugandan case of Sarah Watsemwa versus Attorney General, where the Government was compelled to compensate over UGX 500 million following negligent conduct by medical personnel at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

According to Masiga, the plaintiff had checked into Mulago Hospital for labour but was induced prematurely before the cervix had adequately dilated to the medically recommended level. He explained that a nurse ruptured the membrane prematurely, leading to cord prolapse and an emergency operation.

“The child suffered irreversible brain damage and Government eventually paid over Shs500 million in compensation because of negligent actions by medical staff,” he noted.

Masiga also referenced John Wataka versus The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), where a patient was wrongly diagnosed as HIV positive and subjected to unnecessary treatment. The court awarded over UGX 190 million in compensation after the patient successfully sued.

To further illustrate the dangers of negligence and poor communication, Masiga shared several international examples, including a disturbing case from India where a medic amputated a patient’s healthy leg instead of the diseased one due to communication failures and poor verification procedures.

He also narrated another tragic incident from India where a patient experiencing breathing complications died after medical personnel connected him to an empty oxygen cylinder.

“In that case, the patient waited for nearly 30 minutes without a doctor attending to him. When a doctor eventually arrived, he instructed the team to administer oxygen, only for the patient to be connected to an empty cylinder. The patient died within minutes because no backup oxygen was available,” Masiga explained.

He stressed that although such incidents are unfortunate, they provide critical learning opportunities for healthcare professionals.

“In medicine, every situation is a learning point. Health workers must remain professional and uphold the oath they take upon completion of medical training,” he said.

Masiga further encouraged healthcare workers to improve communication with patients and among themselves, noting that poor communication remains one of the leading causes of medical negligence globally.

The session was chaired by Hospital Planner Hon. Tom Wanasolo, who also received departmental reports and responses from various heads of units.

Wanasolo commended the growing collaboration between Mbale Regional Referral Hospital and the Bugisu Cultural Institution, particularly in the area of legal and professional capacity building.

“Mr. Steven Masiga has been part of us in legal capacity building for the last three years. We always call upon him whenever the need arises,” Wanasolo said.

The training forms part of Mbale Regional Referral Hospital’s broader strategy to strengthen professionalism, reduce medical errors, improve accountability, and enhance patient-centered healthcare services across Eastern Uganda and neighboring regions of Western Kenya served by the facility.