EDITOR
Dr. Ibrahim Bwaga, the Director of Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, informed Parliament that within a year, 57 women have died during labor, with 45 of these deaths occurring within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital. This high mortality rate is attributed to the long distances women travel to access maternal services.
Dr. Bwaga made this statement while presenting Hoima Hospital’s proposals for the 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper before Parliament’s Health Committee. He also shared the hospital’s performance during the 2023/24 period, revealing that some communities had rejected advice to transport patients to Kampala for intensive care. In some cases, families informed the hospital of their readiness to bury their loved ones instead of seeking ICU care in Kampala.
He welcomed the government’s decision to establish an Intensive Care Unit at Hoima Hospital, stating that this development will significantly help save lives and alleviate the emotional burden on medical staff who have to counsel and persuade families to transport patients to Mulago Hospital. Many residents, however, have chosen not to transport patients, preferring to give up on them rather than seek care in Kampala.