District leaders and medical professionals in the Bunyoro sub-region are raising concerns about the increasing number of maternal deaths in the region.
These deaths are largely attributed to delayed referrals from homes or lower health facilities to referral hospitals, absenteeism of competent staff on duty, and the lack of ambulances.
Even districts that have ambulances often face fuel shortages, a situation that has tragically led to the deaths of many mothers during childbirth.
The highest percentage of maternal deaths due to delayed referrals was recorded in Kikuube at 32%, followed by Hoima District at 11%, and Kyankwanzi at 9%.
Medics at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital are urging lower health facilities to make timely referrals and have also called for additional staff, especially midwives and doctors, to handle the increasing number of patients seeking specialized treatment at the hospital.
During the Bunyoro Regional Stakeholders Annual Health Review engagement held in Hoima, which attracted both political and technical leaders from across the districts that make up Bunyoro, participants expressed their concern over the rising rate of maternal deaths.
Sister Evelyn Achayo, the Senior Principal Nursing Officer at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, highlighted several key causes of maternal deaths, including delayed referrals, absenteeism of competent health staff, inadequate transportation, and the presence of unqualified staff attending to expectant mothers due to a shortage of trained personnel across most health facilities in the region.
"Maternal death is a critical issue that we need to address urgently as a region. The leading factor is late referrals, especially from long distances, such as Buliisa, Kagadi, and Kakumiro, which are all over 100km away. Late referrals can be very dangerous," Achayo said.
Badru Mugabi, the Hoima City Resident Commissioner, expressed concern over the continued existence of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in villages, who he says are one of the leading causes of maternal deaths despite being officially abolished.
"What we are asking ourselves is, if TBAs were abolished, why do they continue to operate? We are tasking in-charges and local leaders to address these cases and ensure that mothers go to facilities where they can be managed by trained medical staff," Mugabi said.
Dr. Cosmas Byaruhanga, the Masindi District Chairman, pointed out that the biggest problem is the limited number of staff even at health centres and called on the government to increase wages for local government authorities.