Health Centers in Rubanda District are grappling with a severe lack of bed capacity and power shortage making it challenging to offer quality medical care.

Our reporter observed this issue just yesterday during a visit to the health centers, coinciding with the generous donation of 400 Mama Kits by Anna Asiimwe a resident of Kakore in Hamurwa Town Council and a businesswoman. 

Joan Birungi, an enrolled nurse at Bubare Health Center III in Bubare Sub County, shared her concerns. She revealed that the health center, despite witnessing around 40 deliveries each month, possesses only 6 beds. Shockingly, there is only a single delivery bed available at the facility. 

Benon Abarinjuna, the Public Health Nurse at Hamurwa Health Center IV, highlighted the critical situation. Despite serving a significantly large catchment area, the health center facilitates over 150 deliveries every month. Abarinjuna pointed out that the center’s outpatient unit has a mere four beds, mirrored by an equal number of inpatients, all of which are in poor condition. He further lamented that the hospital itself houses only 28 beds, with a paltry 2 designated for delivery purposes. 

Dr. Bampabwire Godfrey Amooti, the charge of Muko Health Center IV in Muko Sub County, echoed the dire circumstances. He shared that the health center, which has a total of 17 beds, frequently faces overwhelming situations due to expecting mothers seeking refuge early on due to the challenging terrain. These mothers fear potential complications during labor and arrive at the center well in advance.

Bampabwire elaborated that the facility's inconsistent electricity supply has prevented them from utilizing the blood refrigerator provided by the Health Ministry. He added that this situation has thwarted their efforts to provide blood transfusion services. 

Ann Asiimwe explained why she intervened in the facilities in the area. 

In his response to the issues, Dr. Abdon Birungi, the Rubanda District Health Officer, clarified that the facilities in the district are not in a precarious condition. Instead, they are making every effort to leverage all available infrastructure to provide essential healthcare services. He emphasized that their health centers are among the most efficient in the Kigezi sub-region. 

Birungi went on to provide further details about the interventions being carried out to address some of the challenges within the sector. 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Uganda's health care system is ranked in 149th place out of 191 countries in the world, with a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:1000; and spends about 7.2% of  GDP on the health sector.