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People in the Busoga sub-region and its surrounding areas have a reason to smile after the Government remodelled and expanded the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. 

Representing health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, presidency minister Milly Babalanda commissioned the remodelled and expanded ICU at the hospital in Jinja city on March 1, 2024. 

It was constructed by the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Engineering Brigade at a cost of sh804 million fully funded by the Government of Uganda, while construction works were supervised by the Ministry of Health.  

During the commissioning, the hospital’s medical director, Dr Alfred Yayi, said the Busoga sub-region has 11 districts of Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga, Luuka, Kamuli, Buyende, Namutumba, Namayingo, Kaliro, Bugweri, Bugiri as well as Jinja city, with a population of about 4.5 million people, all served by Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. 

The Director of Curative Services in the Ministry of Health Dr. Charles Olaro (2nd left) leading the Minister in charge for Presidency, Babirye Milly Babalanda (left), in touring the remodeled and expanded ICU of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital which she commissioned on Friday. (Photo by Donald Kiirya)

Dr Yayi said the hospital was established in the 1930s with a 500-bed capacity to help combatants of World War II. 

“Before the ICU had six beds and when COVID-19 came in, we were overwhelmed and it sparked the need to expand the ICU of the hospital and now here we are with a completely remodelled and expanded modern ICU with a 10-bed capacity and six high dependence units,” Dr Yayi said. 

Dr Yayi said that despite commissioning the ICU, they still have challenges like the lack of a regional blood bank, require oxygen piping around all wards in the hospital up to the ICU, and the need to construct a wall fence around the hospital, understaffing in the ICU whereby they currently have nine staff and two anesthesiologists.    

Minister Babalanda assured Ugandans that the NRM government under the auspices and good leadership of President Yoweri Museveni is committed to improving health services in the country, especially at lower health centres. 

“Government is committed to increasing the salary of health workers and I call for your patience because the government is keenly looking into this matter. 

“Combined efforts with development partners have resulted in the increase of services in the health sector especially in government health facilities,” Babalanda said, adding that the ICU expansion is a big milestone and instances of transferring patients to Mulago for specialised health services are going to reduce. 

She said the government fully funded the project and thanked the Ministry of Health for responding to the need for the ICU in Jinja Regional Referral Hospital by making sure that funds were approved in Parliament for the project.

Babalanda promised to forward the challenges faced by the medical staff at the hospital to the health minister Dr Aceng, adding that she will also follow up on the issues.

The director of curative services at the health ministry, Dr Charles Olaro, said there is a need to sensitise residents that specialised services are now available at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital instead of making referrals to the Mulago National Referral Hospital.

In regards to the blood bank issue, Dr Olaro said they have already designated a place where the blood bank will be built in Busoga and urged residents to continue donating blood at least twice a year. 

Present at the ceremony were commissioner of clinical services Dr Rony Bahatungire, commissioner of health infrastructure at the health ministry Eng. George Otim, Col. Eng. Godfrey Tukamwakira, Deputy Mayor of Jinja City Fazira Kawuma, and staff of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital.