MPs on the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee yesterday sent away a team of officials from Mulago Hospital after they failed to justify how Shs7.5 billion accumulated in hospital domestic arrears.

Former chief whip Kasiano Wadri

In a meeting chaired by Mr Kasiano Wadri (Terego County), the MPs sent away the delegation led by the hospital executive director, Mr Byarugaba Baterana, after they failed to avail to the committee the necessary supporting documents on how the money accumulated in utilities such as water, electricity, telecommunication, general supplies and rent.

Responding to queries raised in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending 2010, the officials also failed to avail to the committee an agreement they signed with the supplier of a Shs1.2 billion CT scan machine which is idle at the hospital.

“The accumulated domestic arrears is carelessness on the part of the management of Mulago Hospital.They have broken pipes and water is left running, people use cookers in hospitals, lights are left on and there is extravagance,” Mr Wadri said.

But Mr Byarugaba said the arrears relate to utilities like water and electricity that accumulated after being used by the overwhelming number of patients and outpatients.

“Being a national referral hospital, we have 23,000 outpatients who visit Mulago on a daily basis. The services are used daily and we cannot determine how much to consume given the nature of services we offer,” Mr Byarugaba said. He said the letter of credit for the CT scan performed fully and the machine was delivered to the Radiology and Diagnostics department.