Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital has held a community Baraza aimed at strengthening healthcare service delivery and improving relations between health workers and the public.
The engagement brought together hospital management, district leaders, and residents, providing a platform for open dialogue on the quality of services offered at the facility.
Speaking during the Baraza, hospital director Robert Ssentongo said the initiative was intended to promote transparency and allow members of the public to directly raise concerns affecting healthcare delivery.
“We organized this Baraza to listen to the community and understand the challenges they face while seeking services at the hospital,” Ssentongo said. “This feedback helps us improve and serve the people better.”
Several residents commended the government for elevating the hospital to regional referral status, saying the move had improved access to specialized healthcare services in the area.
However, some community members expressed concern over long waiting times at the facility, saying delays continue to frustrate patients, especially the elderly and children.
“Sometimes patients spend many hours waiting to be attended to, and this becomes frustrating, especially for the elderly and children,” one resident said. “We want to see improvements in how services are delivered.”
In response, Ssentongo acknowledged the challenges, attributing some of the delays to congestion and the hospital’s transition from manual systems to digital operations.
“We are aware of the issues of congestion and delays, but services are handled on a first-come, first-served basis under the new system,” he explained. “We ask for patience as we continue to make adjustments.”
He added that the hospital serves a catchment population of more than seven million people across six districts, while handling an average of 600 patients daily, a workload that sometimes stretches the facility’s capacity.
“With the new system, some patients may experience delays in receiving results depending on the type of tests being conducted,” Ssentongo noted.
District leaders who attended the Baraza called for cooperation between health workers and the public to improve service delivery.
“Good service delivery requires cooperation from both sides,” one district leader said. “Health workers must remain professional, and the community should respect and support them.”
The Jimmy Nsimbi Mugwanya praised government efforts aimed at improving livelihoods in Kayunga District through better healthcare services and improved road infrastructure.
The Baraza concluded with a commitment from hospital management to regularly engage the public and provide feedback on issues raised as part of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare services in the district.
