Beyond Tarmac: Why Kyanamukaka’s Maternal Care Crisis Demands a Hospital Upgrade

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reports from Kyanamukaka in Masaka District that local leaders and health advocates are pressing the government to upgrade Kyanamukaka Health Centre IV into a full hospital and add more maternity capacity. The appeal is framed as a response to rising demand and concerns about safe childbirth in a rural area where some patients travel long distances for care.

The article quotes Oscar Mutebi, a Private Secretary in the State House, saying the community has benefited from road works but still needs stronger health services. He urges the Ministry of Health, through Minister Chris Baryomunsi, to intervene, arguing that mothers are delivering on the floor and that emergency cases can worsen during transport from outlying areas such as Namirembe, Buyaga and nearby landing sites.

Watchdog Uganda cites Uganda’s Annual Health Sector Performance Report for 2023/24, which it says recorded 841 deliveries at the facility, along with 1,774 admissions, 18,514 outpatient visits and 108 Caesarean sections. The report uses these figures to show the strain on a center that serves an expanding population and functions as a key point of care for the sub-county.

The story also notes support from former Vice President and Special Presidential Envoy Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, who wrote to the health minister calling for urgent attention and resources. More broadly, the piece argues that road upgrades alone are not enough unless they are matched by better-equipped health facilities, especially for maternal care and emergency treatment.