Dr Baterana Byarugaba, the long-serving executive director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, is under detention following his arrest on March 01, reportedly on orders of President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
Dr Warren Namara’s State House Health Monitoring Unit arrested Dr Byarugaba.
The Mulago ED’s woes began when Museveni instructed Dr Namara to investigate the institution and its top managers over alleged mismanagement, corruption and embezzlement of funds.
Other sources say the probe was just a routine audit by the health monitoring unit.
But the audit is said to have unearthed misuse of funds, forgery and gross embezzlement.
Based on revelations from the audit report, the health monitoring unit was instructed to grill top officials from the national referral hospital.
Also grilled are four other people who are suspected to have taken part in the irregular procurement of of two service providers for Mulago Hospital.
It is not clear where Byarugaba’s recent woes leave the man who has been Mulago ED for almost two decades.
Ahead of the reshuffle of permanent secretaries last year, some reports had claimed that Dr Byarugaba would replace Dr Diana Atwine as ministry of health PS. But President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni reappointed Dr Atwine to the MoH top job.
What is clear for now is that President Museveni is not happy with the state of affairs at the national referral hospital and Dr Byarugaba, the man at the helm of institution for many years. Only time will tell if the embattled ED will survive more embarrassment and jail.
