IGG Backs Calls for More Funding, Staff at Mulago Mortuary

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Deputy Inspector General of Government Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe has supported appeals for more funding and additional staff at Mulago National Referral Hospital’s City Mortuary, after officials said the facility’s workload has grown beyond current staffing levels. The concerns were raised during Muhairwe’s spot check of the mortuary, where she reviewed service delivery, sanitation and operational efficiency.

According to the report, hospital officials told Muhairwe that the mortuary now plays an expanded role in forensic work, pathology services and medical training. Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Dr John Sekabira said the facility has become an important training site for pathology students while still managing forensic and clinical cases, increasing pressure on the available workforce.

AIGP Dr Moses Byaruhanga, the Director of Police Health Services and Lead Forensic Pathologist, said government investment has helped improve the speed and quality of postmortem reporting. However, he also pointed to continuing operational constraints and said plans are being pursued to create another mortuary facility and recruit more medical personnel to reduce the burden on existing staff.

Muhairwe commended the mortuary’s staff and administration for maintaining order and professionalism despite a high volume of cases, and pledged to take the funding and staffing issues to the relevant government bodies. Nile Post notes that Mulago City Mortuary serves as Uganda’s national referral mortuary, providing forensic and pathology services while also supporting the training of future pathologists, making its capacity a public health and justice-sector concern.