MBARARA CITY – The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, was left concerned after an abrupt night visit to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, where he witnessed what he described as worrying conditions affecting service delivery at the facility.
Dr. Baryomunsi’s surprise inspection exposed some of the long-standing challenges facing the hospital, including overcrowded wards, shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies, limited infrastructure and pressure on health workers attending to a growing number of patients.
The minister visited the hospital as part of efforts by the Ministry of Health to assess the state of service delivery in public health facilities and understand the challenges affecting healthcare provision.
During the unannounced visit, Dr. Baryomunsi toured several sections of the hospital, including the outpatient department, emergency unit, inpatient wards and other treatment areas, where he interacted with hospital administrators, health workers and patients.
Hospital management briefed the minister on the difficulties affecting operations, including an increasing patient population, inadequate medical supplies, limited resources and the need for additional healthcare workers.
Officials explained that Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital serves patients from Mbarara City and several districts across western Uganda, making it one of the busiest referral facilities in the region. The increasing number of patients has put significant pressure on available beds and other resources.
The minister observed that congestion remains one of the major concerns at the facility, with some wards struggling to accommodate the high number of patients seeking medical attention. Health workers also revealed that staffing shortages continue to affect timely service delivery despite their continued commitment.
Hospital administrators appealed for more government support through increased funding, improved medical equipment and a consistent supply of essential medicines to help improve patient care.
Following the inspection, Dr. Baryomunsi acknowledged the challenges facing the facility and said there was a need for urgent interventions to strengthen public healthcare services.
He noted that regional referral hospitals play a critical role in providing specialised treatment and pledged that the concerns raised during the visit would be shared with relevant government agencies for possible solutions.
The Health Minister said improving healthcare infrastructure, increasing the number of medical workers and ensuring availability of medicines remain key priorities for the government.
Health workers welcomed the minister’s visit, saying it gave authorities an opportunity to witness first-hand the realities they face while serving thousands of patients. They expressed hope that the inspection would lead to increased funding, recruitment of more medical personnel, expansion of hospital facilities and improved availability of essential medicines and equipment.
Dr. Baryomunsi urged health workers to remain committed to serving patients despite the challenges, assuring them that the Ministry of Health would continue working with relevant stakeholders to address the issues affecting Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital.
