Tayebwa highlights critical healthcare gaps during Mbarara hospital visit

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has revealed that government is planning to elevate regional referral hospitals into National hospitals and district hospitals into regional referral hospitals with a major aim of reducing the patient burden on Mulago and other health facilities.
During his visit at Mbarara regional referral hospital, Tayebwa noticed the dire situations under which the hospital is operating promising to fight for their budget enhancement.
Keep Reading
- > Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital faces staff shortage
- > Mbarara Hospital Transforms Lives With Free Fistula Surgeries for 40 Women
- > Mbarara Hospital Receives High-Tech Anaesthesia Machine to Boost Surgical Operations
- > Concerns raised over poor state of psychiatric ward at Mbarara referral hospital
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has this morning paid a courtesy visit to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital to access the operations of the hospital.
Tayebwa was led to a tour of the hospital including the theatre which he found in a dire situation.
"What i have seen in the theatre is really alarming to be honest with you. Imagine operating someone on a phone light during the day. Now what happens during the night?" Tayebwa decried in part.
According to Dr Deus Twesigye the acting hospital director Mbarara hospital, they face several challenges but highlighted insufficient budget, limited infrastructure, and lack of land for expansion to be key challenges hindering their operations.
Mbarara hospital serves a catchment of over 13 districts but patients have continued to overwhelm the facility.
"As you can see, Patients including those suffering from cancer are sleeping in the tents. We never put those tents for the surgical camp Mr Speaker. You can't believe what these patients go through on a daily" Dr. Twesigye narrated.
To curb down the patient burden, Tayebwa said that government is prioritising creating National and regional referral hospital across the country to address this challenge.
We are going to elevate Kitagata hospital into a regional referral hospital. We are going to elevate Mbarara regional referral hospital into a national hospital. As government we are prioritising creating National hospitals in each region with an intention of curbing down a patient burden to the health facilities"
Located in the center of Mbarara city, Mbarara regional referral hospital lacks land for expansion. There were plans to relocate Rwizi region police headquarters to Kenkobe a city garbage dumbing site to allow the expansion of the hospital but these plans are yet to be materialised.
"The hospital administration brought this issue of lack of land for expansion into the council. We sat and sought of land that we can give to police to shift to and then we zeroed on Kekombe. I think police will agree with this and leave this land they're currently sitting on to the hospital". Robert Kakyebezi mayor Mbarara city.
But as government looks into boosting the health sector, Tayebwa challenged citizens to strengthen the fight against malaria a major illness that has continues to claim lives.
The hospital administration says annually they serves between 4-5 million patients but thospital operates at an annual budget of sh 17billion majority of which goes into repairing hospital machines.
"I am going to sit with the minister for health ( Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng) so that they can maintain the machines they normally give you. I already have audit queries against you but don't worry I will become your ambassador" Tayebwa pleadges before heading to Ntungamo district for burial.