By Stanley Ebele
The Kotido Resident District Commissioner, Charles Ichogor, has issued a stern warning to health workers against extorting money from patients or their families for ambulance services.
He made the warning on Thursday July 10, 2025, during the handover of a brand-new ambulance donated to Jie County recently by the ministry of health to Kotido General Hospital administration.
The Class-B ambulance with Registration Number UG 3100162, equipped with oxygen, a first aid kit, and a larger bed for the patient was handed over to Kotido General Hospital management by the Jie County Member of Parliament Peter Abrahams Lokii, on behalf of the Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Acheng.
Lokii highlighted the importance of the ambulance in enhancing emergency medical services and directed the hospital administration to ensure proper use and management of the ambulance for the benefit of the community.
The legislator also urged the chief administrative officer to assign a qualified and experienced driver to operate the ambulance so as to avoid crushes that have damaged the vehicle fleet belonging to Kotido district local government.
According to Lokii, trained personnel, regular maintenance, and clear protocols are very key in ensuring effective and efficient operation of the ambulance.
“As custodians of the new ambulance, you should establish strict guidelines and monitoring systems to ensure the efficient deployment and maintenance of the vehicle,” Lokii urged.
He noted that effective management of the ambulance would enable the hospital to respond promptly to emergencies and provide timely medical care.
“I know the history of this place. There was an ambulance provided by World Vision. However, there came a time when it lost all the tires and therefore couldn’t help anybody, no matter how many times you sought a referral. So those are the things we need to avoid,” remarked.
Extortion
On his part, the RDC Charles Ichogor, warned that the ambulance service is meant to be free, and anyone found to extorting money from the susceptible patients will face disciplinary action.
“The tendency of charging patients for ambulance services must come to an end. I’m strongly aware that the government, through the Ministry of Health, allocates funds to public health facilities nationwide to facilitate the referral of patients”, Ichogor cautioned.
He also cautioned drivers and big shots in the hospital against diverting fuel meant for the ambulance, saying that they will be dealt will accordingly.
RDC Ichogor eng
Breath of Fresh-Air
Meanwhile Dr. Cerino Achar, the Kotido District Health Officer expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Minister of Health for the donation of an ambulance, which he says will enable health workers to respond promptly to emergencies and provide timely medical attention to patients.
He said the district has been struggling to handle health emergencies after the two ambulances attached to Kacheri H/CIII and Kotido General Hospital got involved in road crashes.
Dr. Achar noted that the district is currently looking for funding to repair the two ambulances that are parked in the garage.
Catherine Longoli and Betty Napuli, residents of Conner Clerk Cell in South Division, Kotido Municipality, said that the new ambulance arrived at a crucial time.
According to them, communities have been facing challenges in transporting patients for referrals using bicycles and motorcycles.
“We have seen cases where patients had to be transported to the hospital on bicycles and motorcycles. A new ambulance will make a huge difference. We will no longer have to worry about timely medical care,” the two mothers said.
Related story:https://radioetoil.com/jie-county-receives-a-state-of-the-art-ambulance-after-years-of-waiting/
For Advertisement and News call or send SMS to 0787551001 or WhatsApp +256-787-289-992/+256-775-907-140 or email: eetoilnewsdesk@gmail.com/vokradio22@gmail.com
