Doctors have been cautioned against withholding patients’ medical information under the guise of digital recordkeeping, with warnings that such practices could lead to unnecessary litigation.
Dr. Wilberforce Kabweru, bioethicist and Vice President of the Uganda Medical Association, issued the warning during a meeting organized by Kampala Hospital on preventing litigation in private healthcare.
He noted a rise in malpractice and negligence cases reported to the courts and the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council (UMDPC), explaining that many of these cases could be avoided if medical workers communicated effectively with patients, obtained proper consent before offering care, and provided patients with their results after treatment.
Dr. Kabweru further cautioned that as more health facilities transition from paper-based to digital medical records, patients are increasingly denied access to their results despite their legal right to medical information.
He added that with patients becoming more aware of their rights, technological advances could make it easier for them to collect evidence, potentially leading to more litigation.
The warning comes amid a high-profile case in which a patient sued a health facility for being wrongly enrolled on HIV treatment and having unnecessary medication retained for seven years.
The High Court awarded the patient 190 million shillings in damages.
Dr. Kabweru emphasized that the case serves as a critical lesson for health workers, highlighting gaps that can be addressed by following basic medical protocols.
By Charles Katabalwa
27th Feb 2026
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