Kabale — The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, has ordered the arrest of a nurse at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital over allegations of neglecting a seriously ill patient—an action that has drawn national attention to concerns about patient care and accountability in public health facilities.
Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, who was appointed IGG in October 2025, has been leading a nationwide inspection tour aimed at promoting good governance, transparency, and service delivery in public institutions. During a surprise visit to the Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, her team uncovered what they described as gross negligence in handling a critical emergency case.
According to the Inspectorate of Government (IG), the nurse identified as Nicholas Tumuheki allegedly failed to attend to a patient who was referred to the hospital after suffering profuse bleeding. The IG’s statement says Tumuheki instructed the patient’s caregiver to lay the patient on the floor due to an alleged lack of a prepared bed. In addition, the caregiver was reportedly directed to buy medicines from a private pharmacy, even though the hospital reportedly had supplies in stock.
The patient’s brother told the IGG team that they waited for hours without medical attention, and at one point had to remove the patient from the ambulance themselves because no doctor was present at the facility. The family also spent money on medications that were never administered.
Justice Batala described the situation as unacceptable, stating that neglect and absenteeism by health workers constitute not only unethical conduct but could also amount to abuse of office and criminal negligence. She ordered that Nicholas Tumuheki be arrested and taken to police for questioning as investigations continue, with the possibility of further disciplinary action.
The acting hospital director, Dr. Peter Kangwaje, apologised for the incident, attributing some challenges to intermittent drug supply issues from the National Medical Stores (NMS), but the IGG’s office rejected this as an excuse for neglecting patients in need of urgent care.
The arrest underscores growing scrutiny of public service delivery in Uganda’s health sector and signals intensified efforts by the IGG’s office to tackle corruption, absenteeism, and misconduct in government institutions.
