Dr Byaruhanga Baterana, the Executive Director of Mulago hospital, has been suspended from his role with immediate effect. He is being investigated for management issues.
The Mulago hospital Executive Director, Dr Byaruhanga Baterana has been suspended from his role with immediate effect due to ongoing investigations into management issues.
Baterana together with six other officials from the hospital were arrested by the State House Health Monitoring Unit to help in investigations surrounding allegations related to the mismanagement of the hospital.
According to Dr Warren Naamara, the State Unit head, the arrest was conducted to help in the follow-up on investigations around the miss/management of the hospital.
Namara also said they decided to arrest the Mulago boss after he failed to honour an invitation they sent to him.
It is after this failure to honour the invitation that the ED was detained to have him respond to the said investigations.
“We are querying mismanagement of resources, medicines and equipment at the hospital. As the head of the hospital, he is responsible and we invited him to help us with the ongoing investigations mid last month,” Namara said at a presser on Wednesday.
However, with all the ongoing talk, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine has suspended Baterana with immediate effect.
In a letter dated March 2, 2022, Dr Atwine noted that owing to the ongoing investigations into abuse of office, embezzlement, causing financial loss and fraudulent false accounting, it is prudent that Baterana steps aside.
“Pursuant to section F-s and F-r of the Public Service Standing Orders 2021, you are hereby interdicted for duty to pave way for investigations and you will receive half pay with immediate effect until the charges against you have been cleared,” the letter reads in part.
Similarly, he has been requested to hand over the office to his deputy, Dr Rosemary Byanyima but also to stay away from the hospital premises to allow the commencement of investigations.
Reading further, the ED was also blocked from leaving the country without clear written permission.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time Mulago has been cited for having management issues.
Last month, a total of four people were arrested over an Shs20.5b fraud at the hospital.
This followed an audit report from the State House Health Monitoring Unit citing that the hospital was involved in the irregular recruitment of two firms that used faked documents to enable them to win a tender to provide services at the hospital.
n 26 June.
