Health workers in Kasese District say many premature and critically ill newborns have died because of inadequate specialised neonatal care, forcing families to travel long distances in search of treatment or watch babies succumb to preventable complications.
The situation is particularly acute at Rukoki General Hospital, one of the district’s busiest maternity facilities, which until now lacked a fully equipped neonatal unit despite handling hundreds of high-risk deliveries every year.
Dr. Loyce Kabyanga, the Deputy Medical Superintendent at Rukoki General Hospital, said the hospital recorded about 1,230 deliveries over the past year, with many newborns requiring specialised care immediately after birth.
She said premature births, low birth weight and birth complications remain among the leading challenges facing the maternity unit.
Dr. Kabyanga attributed the growing demand for neonatal services partly to increasing teenage pregnancies, noting that girls as young as 13, 14 and 16 years are giving birth at the hospital, with many delivering premature babies who require incubators and specialised monitoring.
She appealed to government and development partners to continue investing in neonatal services, saying the demand still far exceeds available capacity.
In response to the need, the Rotary Club of Kasese Snow Peaks, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Winchester in the United Kingdom, has equipped the hospital with a neonatal unit valued at 129 million shillings.
The support includes five infant incubators, three patient monitors, an infant radiant warmer and an oxygen cylinder. The partners also financed construction of the neonatal unit that will house the equipment.
Rotary District Governor for Uganda and Tanzania, Daniel Damulira Mukasa, said the project was prioritised because reducing newborn deaths remains one of Rotary’s global health priorities.
Kasese District Chairperson Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi and Deputy Resident District Commissioner Lt. Maate Magwara welcomed the intervention, saying it complements government efforts to improve maternal and child health services in the district.
The Rotary partners also commissioned a waiting shelter at Railway Health Centre III and launched construction of a cooking shelter to improve services at the facility.
According to the Ministry of Health, complications arising from prematurity remain one of the leading causes of newborn deaths in Uganda.
Many district hospitals continue to face shortages of incubators, radiant warmers, oxygen systems and trained neonatal specialists, limiting their ability to care for babies born too early or with life-threatening complications.
In Kasese, where teenage pregnancy remains high and referral facilities are limited, health workers say expanding neonatal care could significantly improve survival rates among premature babies and reduce the need for emergency referrals outside the district-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
