 Patients Cry on Floor as Health Minister Nabbanja Confirms "Deplorable" State of Mukono General Hospital
Mukono, Uganda – This Tuesday, President Museveni received reports detailing the dire situation at Mukono General Hospital, where patients, including mothers with newborns, were found lying on the floor in a scene of severe overcrowding.
The situation prompted an immediate visit today by Uganda's Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, who was herself shocked and moved to tears by the appalling conditions she witnessed.
During her inspection of Mukono General Hospital, Minister Nabbanja was guided by female patients who lamented the lack of medicine and long waiting times. Patients were seen crammed into small spaces, with some lying on mats and others directly on the floor under trees, alongside their children.
The female patients also confronted the hospital's director, Geoffrey Kasirye, weeping on the ground as they accused him of denial and neglect regarding the hospital's problems.
On the hospital wards, our team found Idah Nantale, who had been waiting for several days. She was lying on a veranda outside the maternity ward after being discharged, stating, "There is no space inside for me to lie down."
Other patients expressed grave concerns, with one stating that if a child is born with complications, a parent would have to pay for services out of pocket, as there is no doctor readily available to attend to them or transfer the child to the nursery unit.
Following her tour, Minister Nabbanja confirmed that the media reports about the hospital's condition were accurate. She identified one of the core issues as the hospital operating with equipment and resources meant for a lower-level Health Center (HC III), despite having a higher patient load.
She assured the public that the government would immediately increase support to the facility to address the critical gaps.
After her visit to Mukono, Minister Nabbanja proceeded to Kayunga Referral Hospital to inspect their oxygen plant. She found the conditions at Kayunga to be significantly better, indicating a stark contrast between the two government facilities.
