RUBANDA – A recent surge in patients seeking health services has put pressure on resources at health facilities being upgraded in Rubanda District, a survey has revealed.
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The findings are part of the Community-Led Monitoring project under implementation by the community-based organisation Kigezi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living with HIV/AIDS (KADOLHA), in collaboration with Mayanja Memorial Hospital Foundation and TASO Uganda.
The project, funded by the Global Fund, seeks to improve the accessibility, availability and quality of HIV-, TB- and malaria-related services in Rubanda District by the end of December 2026.
The 39-page report details findings from 10 health facilities in Rubanda District, gathered between June 1 and September 30, 2026. It was presented at a meeting held at the District Headquarters, attended by, among others, district authorities, the media and other health-sector stakeholders.
Mr. Amos Tugumisirize, KADOLHA’s team leader, said Rubanda District Hospital, Hamurwa Health Centre IV and Bufundi Health Centre III were the facilities most affected by the surge in patients. He said most patients interviewed reported frustration caused by spending long hours at the facilities because of large numbers in both the outpatient and inpatient departments.
Bufundi Health Centre III in-charge Maurice Ruhangariyo confirmed that patients were even sleeping on the floor because the maternity ward had run out of beds.
The challenge has been attributed to ongoing infrastructure developments at the facilities and improved services, which have attracted patients from neighbouring districts, including Kanungu and Kisoro.
“I don’t know what you’re going to do as the District Local Government, but this is affecting the quality of service delivery,” Tugumisirize said. He added that the situation had also resulted in stockout of essential medicines, especially for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria.
CUE IN…. TUGUMISIRIZE.
In response, Rubanda District Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Ahabwe said patients from neighbouring districts were flocking to the facilities, particularly after learning that certain services were unavailable at nearby facilities in their home districts.
“I even believe that we are serving people from neighbouring countries, the DRC and Rwanda,” he said, adding that health workers must prepare to treat anyone seeking care at their facilities while a long-term solution is being devised.
CUE IN….AHABWE
Speaking at the same function, Rubanda District Health Officer Dr. David Mpola Mpola thanked KADOLHA for the comprehensive report, which also highlighted other issues, including staff absenteeism and late reporting for duty, especially at Health Centre II and Health Centre III facilities. Dr. Mpola Mpola urged the officers in charge of the facilities to improve supervision.
CUE IN…MPOLA MPOLA.
The District Secretary for Health and Education, Mr. Obed Mutatiina Kitabutuuka reminded the Health workers that they were under public scrutiny after the Government increased their salaries in recent financial years, and therefore must avoid attracting performance questions from the members of the public.
”These days advanced communication technology such as social media has empowered locals with information. They know you’re scientists and how much you earn. These reports of absentism and late reporting to work will not be accepted by these informed community members” he said.
CUE IN…MUTATIINA.
The Assistant RDC in charge of Rubanda West, Mr. Hillary Bindeeba, said the RDC’s office would lead a team of authorities on a fact-finding mission to investigate several issues raised in the report, particularly staff absenteeism at health facilities. He warned that the team would not give facility in-charges notice of its visits.
Bindeeba said government investments in Rubanda District’s health sector should not be taken for granted and that non-performance would not be tolerated
CUE IN…. BINDEEBA.
The pressure on health facilities comes as the government invests in expanding health infrastructure and improving services across the district. Rubanda District Hospital, which previously operated as a Health Centre IV, was elevated to hospital status, with up to UGX 18.5 billion allocated for infrastructure development, recruitment of specialists and other requirements.
Hamurwa Health Centre IV recently received UGX 500 million from the Bank of Uganda, alongside medical equipment, while multi-million-shilling construction works are underway at Bufundi Health Centre III as the government moves to upgrade it to a Health Centre IV. Rubanda District Hospital, which began operating in July 2025, has already recorded a significant increase in demand for maternal health services.
Rubanda District LC5 Chairman Stephen Ampeire Kasyaba said his office had been informed that the average number of women delivering by Caesarean section at the facility each month had risen from 45 in the 2024/2025 financial year to 95 by October 2026. The increase highlights the growing demand for specialised maternal care, even as infrastructure development continues.
However, delays in completing construction works have left patients and health workers grappling with inadequate space, adding to the challenges identified by the community monitoring exercise. The report calls attention to the need to match infrastructure improvements and expanding services with adequate staffing, medicines, beds, and other resources to ensure that growing patient numbers do not compromise the quality of care.
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