The Deputy Resident City Commissioner (D/RCC) for Kawempe Division, Mr. Kagenyi Lukka has today conducted a monitoring visit to Mulago National Referral Hospital to assess the institution’s operations and explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration and service delivery.
The key areas of focus during the visit included patient care, infrastructure development, equipment maintenance, and human resource capacity building.
Since assuming office three months ago, Mr. Kagenyi has been monitoring several government institutions, programs and projects, with an aim of ensuring effective service delivery in Kawempe.
During the visit, Mr. Kagenyi, who was in the company of his Assistant RCCs, said Mulago Hospital is a critical healthcare facility, serving a vast population in Kawempe and beyond.
“The hospital’s role in providing quality medical care, training healthcare professionals, and advancing medical research is invaluable,” he said.
“The purpose of our visit is to strengthen communication, cooperation, and collaboration between our teams. We aim to identify areas of improvement, share best practices, and work together to address challenges facing the hospital.”
Mr. Kagenyi also recognized the tireless efforts of the hospital staff in providing quality care to patients, often under challenging circumstances.
“Your dedication is commendable, and we’re committed to supporting you,” he assured.
As leaders, he said, they must ensure Mulago Hospital has the necessary resources to deliver quality healthcare services, assuring that they’ll work together to mobilize support, enhance partnerships, and improve infrastructure.
“I emphasize the importance of teamwork, accountability, and transparency. Let’s work together to restore Mulago Hospital’s reputation as a centre of excellence in healthcare,” he said.
He added that Mulago Hospital has a rich history of excellence and it has highly contributed to Uganda’s healthcare sector.
“The hospital has produced several specialized units, including the Uganda Heart Institute, Uganda Cancer Institute, and Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital, which are testaments to its commitment to quality care.These units have improved healthcare outcomes, saved lives, and provided specialized services to the population. We’re proud of the hospital’s role in shaping Uganda’s healthcare landscape,” Mr. Kagenyi noted.
“The Uganda Heart Institute is a centre of excellence in cardiac care, providing life-saving services to patients with heart conditions. The Uganda Cancer Institute is a leading provider of cancer treatment and research, offering hope to cancer patients. Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital is a beacon of hope for women’s and children’s health, providing specialized care to vulnerable populations.”
The Deputy RCC explained that these achievements demonstrate Mulago Hospital’s commitment to quality care, innovation, and excellence.
Dr. Rosemary K. Byanyima, Executive Director, Mulago National Referral Hospital commended the Deputy RCC and his team for conducting the monitoring visit to Uganda’s flagship healthcare institution.
Dr.Byanyima also highlighted some of the milestones achieved by the hospital, which include among others; launching a clinical Interventional Radiology, the first and only in Uganda, it also started a new cancer treatment technique as well as conducting successful kidney transplants.
“In the pipeline, we are planning to split Mulago into a specialized National Hospital and National Referral Hospital; with this, we shall have enough human resource structure to handle all cases.”
She however listed some of the challenges being faced by the hospital which include underutilisation of ICU due to staffing, limited funding for training and research, congestion in emergency areas and sickle cell clinic, inadequate equipment and insufficient budget for acquisition of equipment.
“We request the government to increase our budget,” she appealed.
“The electricity bill is high; it’s over Shs5 billion. Our water bill is also high.Our shortfall is Shs6 billion every financial year. We are given Shs3 billion yet we use Shs9 billion each year.”
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