Follow masterplan, health ministry official urges Mbarara hospital bosses

MBARARA-Dr. Richard Mugahi, the assistant commissioner in the Ministry of Health in charge of reproductive and infant health has challenged the administration of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital [MRRH] to follow the approved masterplan while carrying out developments at the hospital.

MRRH started as a small health centre in 1930 and later graduated as a hospital in 1953.

According to Mugahi, “Mbarara hospital began when the population was still small but the numbers and services are increasing so we need its classical masterplan.”

He said the regional hospital serving over 12 districts needs to get away from non-stored buildings to secure more space for development.

Mugahi said this while touring facilities at the hospital as he assessed the performance of different medical departments.

“As we were touring Mbarara Regional referral we noticed that space is increasingly becoming a challenge and there is a need to have a masterplan that gives us the opportunity to go vertical,” said Mugahi.

He said most of the hospital’s buildings are one level which limits its expansion.“In a way of optimising the space, the little that is available needs to have more structures going upwards and the masterplan must be implemented,” he said.

Dr. Kenneth Bagonza, acting head of the emergency department at the hospital said they need enough space, especially in the resuscitation room that receives patients in critical conditions.

Dr. Celestine Barigye, the hospital director told the ministry officials that they don’t have funds to build high-level buildings.

“Mbarara regional referral hospital does not only stop at managing patients but it is also a training centre for people to become experts around the whole country,” Barigye said.

He said during Covid-19, he mobilised funds from well-wishers to construct a Shs 2 billion isolation unit to handle highly infectious disease outbreaks.

Dr. Barigye said the hospital is also understaffed thus calling the ministry for more human resources to fill the gap of the health worker-patient timely treatment.

“We need more human resources in terms of nurses, people who handle radiology. I know the ministry is working on a new structure which will give us more numbers,” he said.

Dr. Mugahi said the government is still battling with a number of priorities calling upon hospital officials to patiently wait for the funding.

“Government cannot fix all the gaps in a single year which means funding is going to be an issue but with time it is going to progressively address the gaps,” he said.

Currently, Mbarara regional referral hospital has an inpatient bed capacity of only 562 patients.

https://thecooperator.news/uganda-police-mbarara-hospital-to-ink-health-emergency-deal/

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