Kasese MPs petition Museveni over Kilembe Hospital closure

The 200-bed capacity hospital is located on the banks of River Nyamwamba, which has left it prone to flooding during rainy seasons, or when the Rwenzori melts it glaciers.

KASESE | Two members of Parliament from Kasese District have petitioned President Museveni over the potential closure of Kilembe Mines Hospital in Kasese Municipality.

Ferigo Kambale of Kasese Municipality and Gideon Thembo Mujunga argue that closing the hospital without an alternative would be denying primary health care services to the over 200,000 people that have been using this facility.

"If the hospital is closed, then the over 200,000 people will be required to move to either Fort Portal or Mbarara for similar medical services, the health matters," Kambale said.

Kilembe Mines Hospital is a general healthcare community facility that was started by the copper and cobalt mining company in 1951 to serve mine personnel, and has been serving the general community ever since.

In 1982, the copper mining activities were stopped but the hospital remained a community hospital.

The 200-bed capacity hospital is located on the banks of River Nyamwamba, which has left it prone to flooding during rainy seasons, or when the Rwenzori melts it glaciers.

The hospital has been operating on a public private partnership spearheaded by the Catholic Church in Kasese and the Ministry of Health, with the government allocating it about Shs354 million annually.

Addressing the media at Parliament Friday afternoon, the MPs said communities from Bulembia Division and the sub-counties of Mbunga, Kilembe, Muhango, Rukoki and Nyakabingo would be the most affected areas if the hospital is closed.

"We are asking the President to reconsider the government decision of halting the closure of the hospital and as a community we believe that this likely closure will leave the people in dire health state," Mujunga of Busongora South appealed.

In February 2023, government issued instructions to cease all financial assistance to the hospital. This directive was communicated by Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, in a letter to the Chairperson of the Committee of Health.

The decision was made due to the hospital's susceptibility to flooding in the River Nyamwamba catchment area, which has led to recurrent damages to the property, notably in May 1, 2013, May 5, 2014, and on May 7 and May 10 in 2020.

In 2021, the hospital was temporarily relocated to Kasese town. By then the government of Uganda, Kasese Catholic Diocese and Kilembe Mines Limited had agreed to keep the hospital running with medicines and supplies, medical equipment and medical personnel.

However, when this tripartite agreement expired in May 2022, there were no efforts to renew it.

The hospital hit one of its lowest ebbs when it went without essential medical supplies for all of six months. Patients began fleeing and avoiding the hospital.

Pleas from the locals and areas leaders to government to support the hospital went unheeded.

"The Hospital that used to have over 80 medical personnel we are now left with 12 staff at the hospital and this is a sign that the hospital is closing soon," MP Mujunga said in his appeal.

In a meeting of the Committee on Government Assurance and implementation held at the Kilembe hospital with officials of the district and hospital on Friday, April 6, stakeholders were irked by the delay to operationalise the hospital.

Edson Kambere, an engineer from Kilembe Mines, emphasised the availability of land for the hospital's reconstruction, stating that the necessary arrangements were made but communication from the Ministry of Health has been lacking.

Richard Bomera, the LC3 chairperson of Bulembia Division, provided detailed accounts of the efforts made to secure government support for the hospital.

Kilembe Mines Hospital is the largest health facility in the area serving over eight sub-counties, as well as communities from beyond, including patients from DR Congo.

The next largest hospital is Bwera Hospital which is in the extreme south of Kasese near the Mpondwe border post with DR Congo, some 86km from Kilembe.

Last year, residents in Kasese appealed to Parliament to intervene in the fate of hospital.

The distraught residents lodged their appeal to the Committee on Health on January 26, 2023 during the committee’s oversight visit to the rundown hospital.

“We cannot put the lives of our people at risk like our mothers who used to come to deliver from Kilembe. I request that you stand with us, Kasese leaders, to ensure that the image of government is protected by having this hospital functional,” said Eliphaz Muhindi, the district chairperson.

The locals are aggrieved that after the floods, the Ministry of Health which initially supplied the hospital with essential medicines, withdrew support and only maintained funds for administration.

“You have seen the topography. People come from far and so when you cut off medicines, you declare death. Government is revamping other services after the floods - I hear they are looking for an investor to restore mining. Let them consider the hospital too,” said Hon. Florence Kabugho, the Kasese District Woman MP.