Mulago National Referral Hospital says it is overwhelmed by the growing number of referrals for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services from both Kampala hospitals and upcountry facilities.
Dr. Rosemary Byanyima, the hospital’s executive director, said their ICU remains full most of the time because of the high number of trauma and stroke cases they receive.
“We would like to expand ICU services given the need, so we ask the government to provide finances for more equipment, human resources, and the drugs and sundries that go with such specialized services,” Byanyima said.
Her comments follow claims on social media that the national referral facility is operating with only seven functional ICU beds after more than 20 others broke down. Byanyima, however, maintained that all equipment in the Adult ICU, Pediatric ICU, and Organ Transplant ICU are functional.
A hospital source who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, said that although 27 ICU beds are installed, only about 10 are actively being used. When asked about this, Byanyima declined to comment.
The issue of idle ICU beds is not new. The Auditor General’s 2024 report, released earlier this year, noted that Mulago had only 15 functional ICU beds in the last financial year, accounting for 56 percent occupancy. The report attributed this to a shortage of trained personnel and inadequate space for equipment installation.
ICU services are among the most expensive in healthcare. In private hospitals, patients pay up to UGX 4 million per day, while Mulago charges between UGX 1 million and UGX 1.5 million daily. In some cases, the hospital waives fees for patients who cannot afford them.
“Many patients are referred from private hospitals for financial reasons, and this is overwhelming us,” Byanyima explained.
She added that many of the conditions leading to ICU admissions are preventable, noting that Mulago experts are stepping up prevention efforts through public health campaigns, outreaches, and medical camps to reduce the burden on specialized services.
