Jinja Hospital Board Sworn In, Urged to Improve Patient Care

What the report says

The new management board of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital has been sworn in and is being asked to focus on better accountability, smoother service delivery and improvements to facilities. According to Nile Post, the ceremony took place before Jinja Magistrate Lindah Nakalema and was attended by Minister of State for Health for General Duties Anifa Bangirana Kawooya and senior officials from the Ministry of Health. The board is chaired by Dr Sarah Naikoba and includes representatives from Jinja City, neighboring districts, the hospital administration and other health-sector institutions.

In her remarks, Naikoba pointed to congestion and infrastructure shortages as major problems, saying the hospital needs more space and upgrades in key departments such as Accident and Emergency and maternity. She said addressing those gaps would help raise the quality of care for patients at the regional referral facility, which serves a wide catchment area in eastern Uganda.

Kawooya urged the board to take ownership of health service delivery and work closely with hospital management and the ministry. She stressed teamwork, patient-centred care and accountability, while also praising the outgoing board for what she described as a strong working relationship. Her message reflected the broader role of hospital boards in overseeing public health institutions and supporting service improvements.

One board member, Dr Alfred Yayi, called for updates to the board guidelines and better feedback from the ministry on reports submitted by hospital boards. His comments highlighted the need for clearer communication and more regular review of governance rules as health facilities face changing operational pressures.