Uganda: Rukoki Hospital Maternity Ward Struggles As More Than 600 Mothers Deliver Each Month

Rukoki General Hospital in Kasese District is facing a crisis as it struggles to accommodate the overwhelming number of deliveries each month. With over 600 mothers giving birth at the facility, the maternity ward, designed to hold only about 20 mothers, is severely overcrowded. Hospital administrator Dan Mbahimba shared that the ward sees an average of 20 deliveries daily, placing immense pressure on the limited space.

The congestion is exacerbated by mothers with medical conditions that require extended hospital stays, leaving the facility with insufficient beds for new arrivals. Some women are forced to rest on the floor as health workers scramble to accommodate the influx of patients. Although construction of a new maternity ward began in 2024 at a cost of Shs1.2 billion, the project has stalled for about a year, leaving the hospital dependent on the existing ward.

The UPDF Engineering Brigade is implementing the project, but the delay has left the hospital grappling with the growing demand for maternity services. Kasese District LCV Chairperson Eriphazi Muhindi emphasized the urgency of resuming the construction, noting that government had released funds for the project. The district is actively pushing for the resumption of work, as the new facility would significantly increase the hospital's maternity capacity from 20 to approximately 100 mothers, greatly improving conditions for mothers and newborns.

Until the new ward is completed, the hospital continues to receive far more maternity patients than its current ward can handle, with health workers managing daily deliveries in severely constrained space.