Kawempe National Referral Hospital has reported a sharp decline in the number of mothers delivering at the facility, raising questions about shifting maternal care trends.
Dr. Lawrence Kazibwe, the hospital’s Clinical Head, revealed that while the facility once recorded an average of 30,000 deliveries per year, the number plummeted last year to just 23,000—nearly a quarter fewer births. Half of these were caesarian sections.
The drastic drop, he says, follows a Ministry of Health directive to shift more deliveries to lower-tier health facilities. Yet, despite fewer births, congestion at the hospital remains critical.
Kazibwe, speaking as the hospital received a donation of theatre equipment, noted that their postnatal ward, meant to hold just 50 beds, is constantly overflowing. Mothers are either squeezed into extra beds or discharged sooner than ideal to create space.
Since the start of 2025, the hospital has been conducting 25 to 30 surgeries daily, straining its already overstretched resources.
The Women in Insurance, an association of women working in the insurance sector, stepped in with a donation of five caesarian section sets. They also plan to distribute hampers to mothers delivering on March 7, ahead of International Women’s Day.