Kakuuto HCIV Maternity Ward in Bed Crisis as Expectant Mothers Increase

Kakuuto Health Centre IV in Kyotera district is facing an acute shortage of beds at the maternity ward.   This is due to the increasing admissions of expecting mothers and the women in need of other special care related to pregnancies.  

According to Dr. Aloysious Musoke, the Medical Officer in charge of Kakuuto HCIV, they have a 15-bed capacity which is not enough for the increasing number of patients at the maternity ward. He explains that they usually make between 4 and 6 deliveries every day which averages between 120 and 180 deliveries every month.

  As a result, Musoke says they are forced to improvise with mattresses so that the patients can get maternity care from the floor.   

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He adds that they also get at least two patients for caesarian section and the numbers cannot fit within the available space at the maternity ward.   He says that Brick By Brick Uganda, through its Babies And Mothers Alive (BAMA) project, built a neonatal unit to save premature babies in the congested ward. 

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Musoke further noted that the insufficient drug supply at the health center is also worsening the situation since the drugs run out of stock before the next cycle.   He explains that this nature of the health center is meant to be supplied drugs worth over Ugx30, 000,000 but the National Medical Stores provides drugs worth Ugx11,000,000 which is not enough considering the performance of the Health center and the numbers of patients.   

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 Kate Nalwadda, a caregiver of a caesarian patient, says they do not have space to sleep in because the floor is being occupied by the expecting mothers.   

According to Edward Muwanga, the Kyotera District Health Officer, he is aware of the challenge and he attributed it to lack of financial resources to purchase more beds for the maternity and other wards at the health centre.  

Agnes Namusiitwa, the Kakuuto Female Councilor, and Kyotera LC5 Vice-chairperson, says that different patients and caregivers have expressed the same concern on different occasions but there is nothing to do in the meantime but to improvise. 

She adds that they are still lobbying some beds from good Samaritans and Non-governmental Organisations.