The Ministry of Health has unveiled an expanded maternity theatre at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, a development expected to significantly improve maternal care and reduce congestion in one of eastern Uganda’s busiest maternity units.
Mbale Regional Referral Hospital serves a population of more than 4.4 million people across 16 districts in the Bugisu, Bukedi and Sebei sub-regions, areas that continue to record high fertility rates.
Bugisu averages 6.1 children per woman, while Bukedi stands at 7, placing sustained pressure on maternal health services.
Hospital records indicate that about 600 expectant mothers are admitted every month, with between 10 and 15 caesarean sections conducted daily.
For years, the maternity unit relied on a single operating theatre, a situation that often led to dangerous delays during obstetric emergencies.
Hospital Director Dr Steven Obbo said overcrowding and limited operating space had long affected emergency response times.
“Many times, an emergency would arrive while another surgery was already ongoing,” Dr Obbo said.
“Delays like this contribute to poor outcomes for both the mother and the baby. In many cases, delaying surgery is the difference between life and death.”
The newly expanded maternity theatre, unveiled by the Commissioner for Reproductive Health, Dr Richard Mugabi, features modern equipment and multiple operating rooms, each fitted with an operating bed, theatre lighting and anaesthetic equipment.
The project was implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Busitema University, with funding support from the American health organisation Seed Global Health.
Dr Mugabi said the renovation was long overdue, given the hospital’s wide catchment area and the high number of deliveries and caesarean sections handled daily.
“With support from Seed Global Health and Busitema University, we have been able to expand the theatre and improve our capacity to respond to emergencies,” he said.
Hospital authorities say the new facility will significantly reduce intervention times, improve the quality of care and enhance safety for mothers and newborns.
The theatre is also equipped with learning cameras to support medical training for Busitema University students.
“You can have an operation ongoing while students and other doctors observe without compromising patient confidentiality,” Dr Mugabi said.
Mbale Regional Referral Hospital serves as a teaching hospital for Busitema University Medical School, which is hosted at the facility. In addition to the maternity theatre, authorities also commissioned a simulation and skills laboratory at the medical school.
Busitema University Vice Chancellor Prof Paul Waako said the new infrastructure will strengthen competence-based medical education and improve the quality of graduates.
“It will also be used by health workers to enhance their clinical skills and improve the quality of medical care,” he said.
Hospital management also highlighted ongoing maternal health interventions under the LNMS initiative, which focuses on strengthening referrals and providing technical support to lower health facilities.
“All maternal healthcare providers converge to share statistics, outcomes and emerging challenges, and to agree on targeted interventions,” Dr Obbo said. “This approach has greatly improved maternal health indicators in the region.”
Under the initiative, the regional referral hospital identifies emergency referral hotspots and provides targeted support to improve response and reduce delays.
Seed Global Health Country Director Irene Atuhairwe said the organisation aims to help reduce maternal and newborn deaths from 189 per 100,000 live births to 70 per 100,000 by 2030.
“Between now and 2030, we want to work closely with Mbale Regional Referral Hospital to support referring facilities through training, drills and addressing system gaps to reduce late referrals and prevent avoidable deaths,” she said.
Uganda’s Ambassador to China, Olive Wonekha, who hails from the Elgon region, welcomed the development, describing it as personally meaningful.
“I delivered my first child at this hospital by caesarean section, so this intervention touches me personally,” she said.
For communities across the Elgon region, the expanded maternity theatre represents renewed hope for safer deliveries, faster emergency response and improved dignity of care for mothers and newborns.
