{UAH} Expectant mothers sleep on verandah in Kabale hospital

Expectant mothers sleep on verandah in Kabale hospital

Pregnant women in Kabale Regional Referral Hospital compound. PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA  

Kabale- Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is facing a serious congestion problem at its maternity ward.

Due to the congestion, some expectant others are forced to sleep on floors and those who can not find space on the maternity ward floors are compelled to sleep on the verandah.
Ms Florah Muganzi, an expectant mother, told the Saturday Monitor at the hospital on Wednesday that she has been sleeping on the verandah of the maternity ward since her admission four days ago.

Ms Muganzi said the medical staff told her the ward was congested and was advised to sleep on the verandah.

"I have now developed malaria because of mosquito bites while sleeping on the verandah. I do not know whether I will make it if I remain in this situation. I have no alternative, I am just praying that I deliver soon," Ms Muganzi said.

In a similar incident, Mr David Kamuza's wife delivered normally but she is still sleeping on the floor with her baby as she undergoes postpartum services of 48-hours close monitoring before she can be discharged.

"I am worried that my wife and baby may contract other diseases because of the situation they are in. Why is government mobilising us to take our pregnant wives to hospitals instead of our usual traditional birth attendants if there is no space to accommodate our wives in government hospitals?" Mr Kamuza asked.

The hospital director, Dr Placid Mihayo, said they were overwhelmed by the number of pregnant mothers, adding that the maternity ward is too small to accommodate all of them.

Dr Mihayo said the Japanese government promised to build a maternity ward, casualty ward and a modern theatre and works are expected to start next year.
"Pregnant women sleep on the floor because of limited space at the maternity ward but we hope that once the planned facility is constructed, the situation will improve," he said.

He said in 2010, part of the tuberculosis ward was converted into maternity space to reduce congestion but the problem has persisted.

Dr Mihayo said the current maternity ward was built during the colonial time and was designed to accommodate only 30 expectant mothers. It now takes more than 60 expectant mothers.

The hospital's senior gynecologist, Dr John Wanyama, said: "We have enough beds but we do not have space for them at the maternity ward."

Kabale District Medical Officer Patrick Tusiime told pregnant women to always go for maternity services at the seven established health centres in the rural areas instead of flocking to the referral hospital.

But the pregnant women and other patients the Saturday Monitor interviewed said the rural health centres lack competent staff, drugs and the facilities are in bad shape.

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