Three babies die in flooded Kisiizi Hospital

The flooded Kisiizi Hospital Compound. The rains that pounded the area since Saturday paralysed operations at the hospital. Courtesy photo

Rukungiri- As heavy rains continue to pound various parts of the country; three premature babies have died at Kisiizi Hospital, in Rukungiri District, due to a power blackout that was caused by flooding.
According to Rev Joshua Bwebale, the hospital’s chaplain, the babies were on oxygen support in the nursery, which is supported by electricity.
He said they failed to resort to the generator because the unit that houses it was submerged in water, making it impossible to function.
At least 200 in-patients at the healthy facility were left their flooded wards on Monday.
The rains that have lasted for three days left the compound of the Church of Uganda-owned hospital submerged by water.

The hospital management hired the services of inmates from a nearby prison, to drain some sections of the hospital.

Ms Kate Rwomushana, the head of nurses said the area has received heavy rainfall since Saturday night.

“We are scared. We don’t know what to do if the rains persist,” she said on Monday.
She said most patients were supported to wade through the flooded wards on the first floor.

Dr Francis Banya, a gynaecologist at the hospital said they are facing a shortage of water since all water pipes that supply the hospital have been damaged by the floods.
“At the moment, the hospital has no water. It’s so difficult to run a hospital without water,” Dr Banya said.

Dr Banya said: “We have transferred all patients from the affected wards to emergency rooms as we clean those that are flooded.”