Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal hospital to start receiving patients next week

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on behalf of government on Thursday officially received the newly constructed Women’s hospital at Mulago National Hospital ahead of its opening on Monday.

The 450- bed capacity hospital whose construction has taken five years cost $20m and $10m (about Shs100 billion in total) for the equipment which was funded by the Islamic Development Bank and Uganda Government.

The Mulago Specialised Hospital, Maternal and Neonatal Centre established to handle complicated reproductive health cases using modern equipment was handed over by the Arab Consults of Egypt who did the construction.

Mr Rugunda who led a team of cabinet ministers at the handover event preceded by a tour to the facility, said the new facility is going to promote medical tourism in the country as they expect it to attract referrals from neighbouring countries.

“This is a living testimony that government is delivering on its promise to deliver facilities and quality services. Also, we are going to bring to an end having to rush [cases] of specialised care of mothers and children to South Africa, India and USA,” Dr Rugunda said.

On the hospital charges Dr Jane Ruth Aceng the Health minister said the committee which was instituted to come up with the guidelines and figures is expected to deliver them to cabinet on Saturday for approval.

“Cabinet is expected to approve these charges on Monday and they will be communicated to the public there after,” Dr Aceng said.

With the construction of the new hospital, Mulago Hospital’s Gynaecology and Obstetrics department will be transferred to the new centre.

Only those patients who have been referred from regional referral hospitals as well as Kawempe and Kiruddu hospitals will be allowed to access the facility when it opens according to the new referral guidelines

The hospital will offer services for complicated pregnancy cases, urinary complications, reproductive system and early cancer detection and In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) among others.
Government says with the renovation of Lower Mulago and two referral hospitals in Kiruddu and Kawempe, Ugandans will now access highly specialized health care.
" It has been equipped with medical gases, oxygen and nitrous oxide plants with direct supply to the hospital beds,” Ms Aceng observed.

The hospital will start receiving patients on September 17, 2018 as endorsed by Cabinet on Monday was funded through the government.

Available information indicate that the number of deliveries increased from 20, 000 in the year 2,000 to 33, 000 in 2011.
In the financial year 2013/2014, antenatal attendance was 48,616; deliveries were 34,411 with a caesarean section rate of 23 percent, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
In Financial year 2015/2016, the ministry says antenatal attendance had risen to 60,902, deliveries were 35,071 with a cesarean rate of 26.8 percent.