Uganda: Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital Faces Staff Shortage

Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), a key health facility in Mbarara City, is grappling with severe understaffing, according to Dr. Deus Twesigye, the acting hospital director.

Dr. Twesigye revealed that the hospital is operating at only 23% of its required staffing levels, leading to significant challenges across all departments.

“The limited staffing has put immense pressure on the available staff, many of whom work beyond their scheduled hours. This has inevitably caused delays in service delivery for our patients,” he told the Nile Post in an interview.

The hospital, which serves over 13 districts, has been overwhelmed by the growing number of patients seeking medical attention. To cope with the crisis, the facility has relied heavily on medical students practicing at the hospital. “If a university strike occurred, the hospital would struggle to operate smoothly,” Dr. Twesigye admitted.

He attributed the staffing challenges to historical structural issues.

“From 1996 to 2006, the hospital was under the Ministry of Education and Sports, which limited its access to staffing privileges enjoyed by facilities under the Ministry of Health. By the time we were transferred to the Ministry of Health in 2006, other institutions had already adjusted their staffing structures, leaving us lagging behind,” he noted.

The government has taken steps to address the broader understaffing issue in Uganda’s healthcare system.

Last year, the Ministry of Public Service approved a new staffing structure for the 2023/2024 financial year.

This initiative aims to reduce the health worker-to-patient ratio by increasing staffing levels in hospitals and health centers across the country.

Additionally, the government allocated shs 2.946 trillion to the health sector for the 2024/2025 financial year, representing 4.1% of the national budget.

This funding is expected to support the recruitment of more health workers and fill critical vacant positions.