Population- Uganda needs six new national referral hospitals to cope
UGANDA needs about six new national referral hospitals if it is to meet the health demands of its high annual population growth, says a senior government official.
By Frederick Womakuyu
UGANDA needs about six new national referral hospitals if it is to meet the health demands of its high annual population growth, says a senior government official.
Dr. Kenya Mugisha, the director of health service, says the population of Uganda has grown faster than the expansion of Mulago National Referral Hospital.
“When Mulago Hospital was built in the 1960s, it was meant to serve about six million people. But today, the population of Uganda has grown five times yet the facilities of Mulago have not expanded much,†he explains.
“The country needs six new national referral hospitals to relieve the hospital of the congestion and limited number of doctors,†he says.
Dr. Mugisha warns that if the population continues to grow at this rate, by 2050, the population will be about 100 million people. The country will need 20 new national referral hospitals.
According to the 2009 State of the World Population report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the country’s population is now about 33 million.
Uganda’s population growth rate is at 3.3%, a rise from 3.2% last year. This places Uganda among the top five fastest growing countries in terms of population globally.
Since the 1960s, apart from the construction of health centres, referral hospitals have not been constructed.
Strained health centres
Amuria Health Centre IV, in eastern Uganda, has an acute lack of medical care capacity amid a high population.
Claudia Amulokwir, the only midwife at the maternity ward, attends to about 10 deliveries a day and cannot help women who need C-sections because the facillity has no doctor.
The crumbling main health facility in the district has no running water, electricity or enough beds.
Emmanuel Aisu, the clinical officer, says every year, they lose about 30 children at birth or during pregnancy and 21 mothers.
He says most of these deaths are preventable, but there is acute shortage of health workers, equipment and drugs.
Shortage of health workers
According to the health ministry, only 51% of staff positions in the health sector are filled up.
Some districts, like Bukwo and Amuria, do not have any doctor, leading to high maternal and infant mortality rates.
According to the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, Uganda’s maternal mortality stood at 435 deaths per 100,000 live births and the infant mortality stood at 76 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Dr. Mugisha says much as Uganda’s economy has been growing at about 8% annually and has declined to about 6.4%, according to the finance ministry, The growth is not keeping pace with the population growth.
He explains that every year, the country produces an average of 1.2 million babies who need health care. Thus, the budget allocation to the health sector should also grow.
“But over the last five years, the national budget allocation to the health sector has not increased significantly,†he says.
Justine Murana, an economist and Sironko district planner, says if Uganda continues to grow at this rate, amid poor living standards, the country will spend more money on health at the expense of other important sectors.
In 2007, Uganda had about 1,150 doctors for a population of about 30.9 million, according to UNFPA. One doctor attended to about 26,000 patients in the country. The national development vision sets a goal to have one doctor for 5,000 people.
To achieve this, Uganda requires about 17,760 doctors by 2037 with the high birth rate projection, compared to about 12,480 doctors needed in 2037 with the declining fertility.
The high birth rate will also have implications on the number of nurses needed.
In 2007, the country had only 7,700 nurses for a population of about 30.9 million. There was only one nurse for about 4,000 patients and yet the national goal is to have one nurse for about 1,000 people.
The population secretariat notes that the country requires over 88,800 nurses for a population of about 88.8 million Ugandans by 2037.
The number of health facilities will also increase to match the growing population. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), in 2007, there were 3,045 health centres in the country. Over 9,500 patients went to one centre.
UBOS adds that if the growth rate continues to increase, the country would require 9,320 centres by 2037.
UBOS futher explains that if the fertility rate declines, about 6,550 health centres would be required in 2037.
Health expenditure rises
According to the Annual Health Sector Performance report 2007-2008, budgeted public health expenditures amounted to about sh17,220 per person annually.
The report notes that this level of expenditure is inadequate for provision of minimum level services. The goal was to spend sh30,000 per person by 2007.
To achieve this, Uganda needs to spend about sh60,000 per person annually to cover the current Minimum Health Care Package required.
UBOS estimates that public health costs would rise to about sh5 trillion in 2037.
If Uganda’s fertility rate lowers, over the 2007-2037 projection period, the cumulative savings in health would be about sh13 trillion.
The way forward
Murana says Uganda must adopt a population policy that aims at reducing the fertility rate. This can be done through family planning.
He also recommends that the Government must focus on educating the girl child to achieve a quality population. “A girl who is educated knows that a small family is sustainable,†he says.
UGANDA needs about six new national referral hospitals if it is to meet the health demands of its high annual population growth, says a senior government official.
Dr. Kenya Mugisha, the director of health service, says the population of Uganda has grown faster than the expansion of Mulago National Referral Hospital.
“When Mulago Hospital was built in the 1960s, it was meant to serve about six million people. But today, the population of Uganda has grown five times yet the facilities of Mulago have not expanded much,†he explains.
“The country needs six new national referral hospitals to relieve the hospital of the congestion and limited number of doctors,†he says.
Dr. Mugisha warns that if the population continues to grow at this rate, by 2050, the population will be about 100 million people. The country will need 20 new national referral hospitals.
According to the 2009 State of the World Population report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the country’s population is now about 33 million.
Uganda’s population growth rate is at 3.3%, a rise from 3.2% last year. This places Uganda among the top five fastest growing countries in terms of population globally.
Since the 1960s, apart from the construction of health centres, referral hospitals have not been constructed.
Strained health centres
Amuria Health Centre IV, in eastern Uganda, has an acute lack of medical care capacity amid a high population.
Claudia Amulokwir, the only midwife at the maternity ward, attends to about 10 deliveries a day and cannot help women who need C-sections because the facillity has no doctor.
The crumbling main health facility in the district has no running water, electricity or enough beds.
Emmanuel Aisu, the clinical officer, says every year, they lose about 30 children at birth or during pregnancy and 21 mothers.
He says most of these deaths are preventable, but there is acute shortage of health workers, equipment and drugs.
Shortage of health workers
According to the health ministry, only 51% of staff positions in the health sector are filled up.
Some districts, like Bukwo and Amuria, do not have any doctor, leading to high maternal and infant mortality rates.
According to the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, Uganda’s maternal mortality stood at 435 deaths per 100,000 live births and the infant mortality stood at 76 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Dr. Mugisha says much as Uganda’s economy has been growing at about 8% annually and has declined to about 6.4%, according to the finance ministry, The growth is not keeping pace with the population growth.
He explains that every year, the country produces an average of 1.2 million babies who need health care. Thus, the budget allocation to the health sector should also grow.
“But over the last five years, the national budget allocation to the health sector has not increased significantly,†he says.
Justine Murana, an economist and Sironko district planner, says if Uganda continues to grow at this rate, amid poor living standards, the country will spend more money on health at the expense of other important sectors.
In 2007, Uganda had about 1,150 doctors for a population of about 30.9 million, according to UNFPA. One doctor attended to about 26,000 patients in the country. The national development vision sets a goal to have one doctor for 5,000 people.
To achieve this, Uganda requires about 17,760 doctors by 2037 with the high birth rate projection, compared to about 12,480 doctors needed in 2037 with the declining fertility.
The high birth rate will also have implications on the number of nurses needed.
In 2007, the country had only 7,700 nurses for a population of about 30.9 million. There was only one nurse for about 4,000 patients and yet the national goal is to have one nurse for about 1,000 people.
The population secretariat notes that the country requires over 88,800 nurses for a population of about 88.8 million Ugandans by 2037.
The number of health facilities will also increase to match the growing population. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), in 2007, there were 3,045 health centres in the country. Over 9,500 patients went to one centre.
UBOS adds that if the growth rate continues to increase, the country would require 9,320 centres by 2037.
UBOS futher explains that if the fertility rate declines, about 6,550 health centres would be required in 2037.
Health expenditure rises
According to the Annual Health Sector Performance report 2007-2008, budgeted public health expenditures amounted to about sh17,220 per person annually.
The report notes that this level of expenditure is inadequate for provision of minimum level services. The goal was to spend sh30,000 per person by 2007.
To achieve this, Uganda needs to spend about sh60,000 per person annually to cover the current Minimum Health Care Package required.
UBOS estimates that public health costs would rise to about sh5 trillion in 2037.
If Uganda’s fertility rate lowers, over the 2007-2037 projection period, the cumulative savings in health would be about sh13 trillion.
The way forward
Murana says Uganda must adopt a population policy that aims at reducing the fertility rate. This can be done through family planning.
He also recommends that the Government must focus on educating the girl child to achieve a quality population. “A girl who is educated knows that a small family is sustainable,†he says.