A severe crisis at Mukono General Hospital has left expectant mothers giving birth on bare cement floors and recovering there post-delivery, exposing them and their newborns to serious health risks. Administrators have sounded an alarm over the dire conditions, pleading for urgent intervention to restore dignity to patient care.
The hospital’s maternity ward is critically overwhelmed, equipped with only eight delivery beds to handle an average of 30 births every single day—a staggering total of nearly 900 each month. This immense pressure means many new mothers are denied proper postnatal care and are often discharged prematurely before they have fully recovered.
“Mothers are suffering because we lack the facilities to give them the care they deserve,” said Dr. Geoffrey Kasirye, the hospital’s director. “We urgently need another maternity block with at least 20 beds to reduce the pressure”.
The crisis extends far beyond the maternity ward. The entire facility, which treats more than 900 patients monthly for issues ranging from chronic illnesses to accident-related injuries, is stretched to its breaking point. Dr. Kasirye revealed the grim reality of daily operations: “Some patients are treated under trees or in tents because we lack enough buildings. Others are forced to share beds, which is both unhygienic and dangerous”. He stated that the hospital needs at least two new permanent buildings with four wards to cope with the growing patient numbers.
Dr. Kasirye’s appeal was made as he received a timely Shs 7 million donation of mattresses and other supplies from Mt. Lebanon Church. Leading the delegation, Bishop Dr. Samuel Lwandasa urged Ugandans to take collective responsibility for their communities rather than leaving everything to the government.
“It is everyone’s duty, however small, to make a difference where we live,” Bishop Lwandasa said. “We should support hospitals and appreciate the work of medical staff instead of only criticizing them”.
Hospital administrator Umar Nsereko and District Health Officer James Kaweesa thanked the church for the donation, which residents welcomed as a relief for mothers who were “suffering greatly due to a lack of necessities”. Echoing this sentiment, Bishop Sion Raj Kumar, the overseer of the Apostolic Assembly of India, praised the Mukono medical team for their tireless service despite the limited resources.
