The children are a 9-year-old boy and a baby of two months, who was abandoned by her mother after a referral from Bwizibwera Health Center III in Mbarara District.
Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Mbarara City is stuck
with two children who were abandoned by either their parents or relatives.
The children are a 9-year-old boy and a baby, just two
months old, who was abandoned by her mother after a referral from Bwizibwera
Health Center III in Mbarara District.
The two are part of the 10 homeless people that the
hospital is struggling to settle.
Halson Kagure, the Hospital Communications Manager, says that
a 9-year-old boy was brought to the facility by unknown individuals on December
24th of last year.
He was left at the hospital's entrance in critical
condition and upon admission, he was diagnosed with autism and is currently
confined to the psychiatric ward of the hospital.
Kagure, explains that many of the stranded individuals arrive
as patients brought in by police through the accidents and emergency department,
while others are left at the hospital by relatives for unknown reasons.
He narrates that in nearly every department, destitute
individuals can be found huddled in corners, refusing to leave even after
treatment and discharge and most of them have turned the hospital into a
makeshift shelter.
Kagure observed that the situation is being exacerbated by
well-wishing individuals who are giving handouts to these people.
John Kavigi, a social worker, say the growing
number of destitutes at the hospital reflects a wider social issue
emphasizing the need for community responsibility and sustainable solutions to
ensure that health facilities do not become havens for the homeless.
This is the second time the hospital has faced challenges
with homeless individuals. Last year, the hospital collaborated with
Kkottongnea, a Korean international organization founded by Father John Oh, to
give housing to 14 homeless people in Kiruhura district.
