Nakaseke Hospital Raises Alarm Over Frequent Power Outages

What the report says

Nakaseke General Hospital in central Uganda has raised concern over frequent electricity outages that it says are disrupting essential care, including surgeries, maternity services and treatment for premature babies. According to the hospital, power cuts happen at least twice a week and affect the operating theatre, maternity ward and neonatal intensive care unit. The hospital has appealed to government for urgent support to address the problem.

Medical superintendent Dr. Moses Ocen said the facility needs more than Shs500 million to install a solar power system that could provide backup power when the main supply fails. He said the hospital has a generator, but running it is costly because of fuel expenses. He also warned that the outages threaten the storage of medicines and other supplies that must be kept refrigerated, since cold storage stops working when electricity is cut.

The hospital serves patients from Nakaseke and nearby districts, with more than 51,000 patients treated in the past six months. It handles over 200 in-patients a month and records eight to 10 deliveries daily. Hospital leaders also flagged staffing shortages and leaking roofs as additional challenges facing the facility.

The article also noted a separate development: a refurbished laboratory at the hospital was recently commissioned with support from the U.S. government through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Baylor Foundation Uganda. A Ministry of Health official said he would follow up on the electricity issue. The combination of infrastructure, staffing and power problems shows the pressure on services at one of the district’s main public hospitals.