Nsambya Hospital has come under harsh criticism for abandoning professional medical practices by allowing it to be used as a conduit by the National Unity Platform’s (NUP) leaders to stage-manage or fake medical reports.
A section of the public is now concerned about how the facility has successfully allowed NUP jokers to always act under the guidance of seeking medical treatment.
The criticism followed the admission into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of NUP Members of Parliament: Zaake Francis, who received a few light punches on his head, and Nyeko Derrick, who fell on a sofa during a scuffle in Parliament on November 6, 2024.
Many Ugandans were shocked to see Zaake conducting a series of media interviews while still in the ICU, speaking to various news outlets about the incident.
An intensive care unit (ICU) is a specialized hospital ward that provides critical but advanced medical care and life support to patients who are very ill or injured. It contains sophisticated monitoring equipment and technology to support failing organ systems.
In the footage, Zaake appeared to be in relatively good condition, engaging in lively conversation with reporters and offering political commentary, all while supposedly receiving medical care.
The sight of a sitting MP conducting interviews from an ICU bed raised alarms about the hospital’s professionalism and medical ethics.
Critics have accused both the MPs and Nsambya Hospital of turning what should be a place for healing into a stage for political theatrics.
“This is an absolute disgrace,” said one social media user. “ICU is for people in critical condition, not for jokers looking for attention. Zaake and Nyeko should be ashamed of themselves, and Nsambya should be held accountable for allowing this circus to happen in a medical facility.”
Medical professionals, too, expressed concern over the situation, suggesting that the MPs may not have required intensive medical care at all. Dr. Richard Kizza, a prominent Ugandan doctor, commented on the situation, saying: “If Zaake is well enough to conduct interviews, then clearly he doesn’t require ICU care. The public deserves transparency regarding his condition. Allowing this drama to unfold in an ICU undermines the credibility of our health institutions.”
This is the second time Nsambya Hospital has come under criticism for abetting NUP’s drama. In September 2024, the hospital was criticized for plastering Robert Kyagulanyi’s leg like it had fractured after the NUP president suffered a minor scratch from a stone that was triggered by a teargas canister. The hospital went on to give Kyagulanyi crutches, which he could sometimes forget and walk steadily without.