By Kaleb Yikii

Arua

Q: How many Patients have been served with CT SCAN services since its Installation at Arua Regional Referral Hospital?
A: We have carried out over 200 cases which is actually one of the highest cases so far done by the Regional Referral Hospitals compared to other regional referral hospitals in the country.

Q: What Human resources are currently available in Arua Regional referrals hospital, to manage the CT SCAN Services efficiently?
A: We have got Senior and Principle Radiographers who actually do the CTSCAN operations very well, only that, they cannot interpret. Because the interpretation of the CTSCANS is the role of a radiologist; a doctor who is a specialist in radiology, which Arua Regional Hospital does not have that Kind of Doctor. But that does not stop the Operations of the CTSCAN Machine services.

Q: Why are the CT SCAN Results shared with patients using their smart Phones?
A: When the Radiographers carry out the CTSCANS, they have to send it to the radiologists who are not here to read (interpret). After reading (Interpreting) they have to send it to the patient whose CTSCAN was Done. The Smart Phone makes it easier and less Costly to share the CTSCANS directly to the Patient because it is the private scan of the patient. The Radiographers are also obliged to observe secrecy and confidentiality of the CTSCANS and Read Results.

Q: Is there no any other way of sharing the CT SCANS apart from through the SMART phones?
A: The CTSCAN results can be got as a soft copy or hardcopy on a film but it’s all the same result.  Since we are now moving Digital, it is easier to send a soft copy to a radiologist in Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala because we currently do not have a radiologist, although we are struggling to get one. If a CTSCAN result is printed on film and sent to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for reading by A radiologist, it takes a lot of time to get the results. But a soft copy of the Results shared makes the Radiologists to read and give Results within a short time and that is the soles reason of sharing the results with patients on the Smart Phones.

Q: What are the Long and midterm term plan of Arua Regional Referral Hospital to keep the CT SCAN Machine up and running without Breakage?
A: Ministry of Health has come up with a proposal of How the CTSCAN services are going to be operationalized. It has been agreed that for maintenance and procurement of the supplies that are required, there is going to be Cost sharing with patients whose condition will require CTSCAN Services. However, there are going to be mechanisms of waiver for those patients who totally cannot afford to pay for the agreed upon amount to ensure that still their CTSCANS can be carried out their CTSCANs.

Q: What are the fees agreed upon by the Ministry Of health?
A: There are what we call Contrast and non-contrast CTSCANS. A Contrast CTSCAN is where we use some materials which are either injected into the patient’s body, or the patient is required to ingest (swallow) it; in order to help the CTSSCAN machine to clearly show the outline of the Disease that we are looking for. So when we release that we cannot get the clearer picture of the disease, we give contrast forms. The Contrast materials are quite expensive. So for procedures where there is going to be no Contrast, Both Children and Adults will be required to pay 120,000 Ugandan Shillings and for Procedures where there is going to requires Contrast Scan, Both Children and Adults will be required to pay 150,000 Ugandan Shillings. But for other Complicated CTSCANs Both Children and Adults will be required to pay more than 150,000 Ugandan Shillings but not exceeding 200,000 Ugandan Shillings depending on the Assessment.

Q: What are the Procedures of payment?  
All CTSCAN related payments shall be deposited in to Arua Regional Referral Hospital private wing account and sent to the Ministry of Health account as the collections for CTSCAN, which goes to bank of Uganda and from the Bank of Uganda Account, the money will be sent to Arua Regional Referral Hospital Account. Just like any other transactions done in the Government Referral Hospitals for services which are paid for called Non Tax revenue.

Q: Do all Radiography services fall under Cost sharing and when does Arua Regional Referral Hospital plan to start cost sharing implementations?
A: We are yet to decide as Hospital management, when Cost sharing can start but most likely it may start in June. Other Radiology Services and all other services in Arua Regional Referral Hospital still remain Free of Charge except in the Private wing.

Q: What are the Contributions of Government in this Cost sharing?
A: Government has already put in place the Structure, the CTSCAN Machine. The Government is Also Paying for the Human Resource (Radiographers). What patients only pay for are the Consumables that need to be obtained and utilized like Gloves, Contrast Media, etc.

COVER PHOTO: ARRH Director Dr. Andema Alex By Kaleb Yikii