Busoga Hospitals Receive Medical Supplies Worth UGX155 Million

Six hospitals in Busoga sub region have jointly received medical supplies worth 155 million Shillings. 

The equipment is aimed at reducing the number of babies and  mothers who die as a result of premature birth. The donation was made by Makerere University School of Public Health through the  Preterm Births Initiative-PBI study aimed at identifying facility based solutions to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity due to pre-maturity.

The  hospitals are Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Iganga General Hospital, Bugiri General Hospital, Kamuli General Hospital and St. Francis Buluuba Mission Hospital.

These have received delivery beds, binliners, patient trolleys, photo-therapy machines, incubators, glucometers, oxygen masks, and infusion burettes among others. These are meant to help health workers to easily identify mothers who are likely to have preterm births and provide a conducive environment for the premature babies so they can survive.

James Wako, the director of Iganga General Hospital, says that the equipment comes at a time when the hospital is facing challenges of handling premature babies.

"We have been lacking incubators, but you know how government procurement process works,  it takes long. We have been having trouble to care for the babies, so this donation comes in handy,"he said.

Dr Peter Waiswa, the lead researcher of the study said all hospital staff will be trained on how to identify mothers who are likely to give birth to preterm babies.

"We are now going to train midwives on how to use some of this equipment but also to orient them on management of premature babies,"he said

Records by the Ministry of Health indicate that preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths in Uganda. Out of an estimated 1,665,000 annual births, at least 226,000 are preterm with 12,500 of them directly contributing to child mortality.

Busoga sub region records over 200 premature births out of 1,000 deliveries registered monthly, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health last year.