Kibiito Health Centre IV in Bunyangabu District is facing a critical shortage of health workers, a situation that is putting pressure on the available staff and constraining service delivery at the facility. The facility has only 60 health workers against the 133 recommended by the Ministry of Health, according to Dr. Robert Bijja, the facility in-charge.
Speaking to URN, Dr Bijja said the shortage has left the available health workers overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking services at the health centre. The facility serves more than 26,000 patients every month from Bunyangabu, Kabarole and Kasese districts.
Dr Bijja said the staffing gap is also affecting specialised services, with some departments operating without the required personnel. He cited the imaging department, which has no radiographer, sonographer or imaging specialist.
The facility is also grappling with inadequate equipment and limited infrastructure. Dr Bijja said most of the structures are makeshift, while the general ward is too small to accommodate the increasing number of patients. He called for Kibiito Health Centre IV to be upgraded to a general hospital to increase its capacity and enable it to provide more specialised services to the population it serves.
Bunyangabu District Chairperson Peter Musinguzi also called on the Ministry of Health to upgrade Kibiito Health Centre IV to a general hospital. Musinguzi said the facility is attracting more patients because of the services it provides, including mothers who prefer it to lower-level health centres.
He said upgrading the facility would increase its budget, staffing and infrastructure and enable it to respond to the growing demand for health services.
The concerns were raised on Friday during MTN Uganda’s Y’ello Care campaign at the facility, where the company donated equipment to support maternal and newborn healthcare. The equipment included hospital beds, computers, a patient monitor, bicycles for community health extension workers, gloves and mama kits, among other items.
The company also provided free internet connectivity to the facility and supported digital skills training for health workers and community health extension workers. Franklin Kano Ocharo, MTN Uganda’s General Manager for Growth and New Business, said the intervention was aimed at strengthening frontline healthcare services through technology, skills and community support.
He said the initiative is intended to strengthen systems that enable mothers, newborns and families to access timely and quality healthcare.
Dr Richard Obeti, the Bunyangabu District Health Officer, welcomed the support, saying the equipment was critical in improving service delivery at the facility. Obeti said that despite the challenges, Kibiito Health Centre IV is performing well, particularly in maternal and child health.He said the district recorded a maternal mortality rate of 26 deaths per 100,000 live births in the last year, compared to the national rate of 189 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Annet Basema, a resident of Kibiito Town Council, said the facility had previously faced a shortage of beds in the labour suite, forcing some mothers to deliver on the floor or mats. She welcomed the new beds, saying they would improve conditions for mothers giving birth at the facility.
