By KT Reporter
The commissioner for Reproductive and infant health at the ministry of health Dr Richard Mugahi has said that the delayed commissioning of the Neonatal intensive care unit at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital has been caused by the political season. All the same it once the
The government through the Ministry of Health had planned to commission the Unit as they commemorated the world premature day but upon touring the building they agreed to postpone the commissioning.
Speaking at the commemoration of World Premature Day at the Mbarara Phamacology ground on Thursday Dr Mugahi said that the delay has also been blamed on some issues that need to be completed by the contractor.
“Some things that are not yet complete in our NICU, we have agreed with the contractor, so we have agreed with the permanent secretary and the chief guest who failed to be here at the last minute, that we can do this at a future date.”
He hastened to add that failure to commission the building won’t stop the health workers from using the facility since the engineer has committed to complete it.
Dr Twesigye Deus, the Acting Hospital Director pleaded with the government to provide the required human resource and funds as staffing levels stand at 25%.
He said that the NICU is more of a new hospital that comes under a hospital with a 100-bed capacity and a new lab that needs enough staff.
Anne Akullo, the president of the Uganda pediatric Association said that the Association is committed to train more pediatric nurses but asked government to also commit to fighting Neonatal deaths by providing necessary needs.
Dr Elias Kumbakumba, the head of the Pediatric department said the NICU is designed with enough space to accommodate 37 preterm and 40premature babies with theaters and a High Dependency Unit.
Katushabe Nausi a mother of a premature commended the health workers at the referral hospital for the tireless work but asked government to provide them with financial assistance especially when they are discharged.
She also asked the health workers to always do a follow up to their patients who she said that some mothers reduce the care to their preterms once discharged.
Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital gets about 80 babies on a daily and has managed to reduce the mortality rate from 20% to 7.2% inpatient.
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