Rubanda, Uganda | URN | Health facilities in Rubanda District are struggling to cope with a surge in patients, with shortages of beds, essential medicines, and space affecting service delivery, a community monitoring report has revealed. The report, based on findings from 10 health facilities between June 1 and September 30, 2026, identifies Rubanda District Hospital, Hamurwa Health Centre IV and Bufundi Health Centre III as the facilities most affected by the growing patient numbers.
The findings are part of a Community-Led Monitoring project implemented by Kigezi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living with HIV/AIDS (KADOLHA), in collaboration with Mayanja Memorial Hospital Foundation and TASO Uganda. Funded by the Global Fund, the project seeks to improve access to and the quality and availability of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria services in the district by the end of December 2026.
The 39-page report was presented at a meeting at the Rubanda District headquarters attended by district officials, health-sector stakeholders and the media. KADOLHA team leader Amos Tugumisirize said patients interviewed during the exercise reported spending long hours at health facilities because of congestion in outpatient and inpatient departments. He said the situation was particularly worrying at the three facilities, where rising demand was placing additional pressure on already stretched resources.
Bufundi Health Centre III in-charge Maurice Ruhangariyo confirmed the strain, saying some patients had resorted to sleeping on the floor because the maternity ward had run out of beds. The report attributes the surge partly to ongoing infrastructure improvements and better services that have attracted patients from neighbouring districts, including Kanungu and Kisoro.
However, Tugumisirize warned that the growing numbers were affecting the quality of care, with some facilities experiencing stockouts of essential medicines, particularly those used to treat tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. I don’t know what you’re going to do as the District Local Government, but this is affecting service delivery,” Tugumisirize said.
Rubanda District Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Ahabwe said patients were increasingly travelling from neighbouring districts after learning that particular services were unavailable at health facilities closer to their homes. “I even believe that we are serving people from neighbouring countries, the DRC and Rwanda,” Ahabwe said. He added that health workers must be prepared to attend to everyone seeking medical care as district authorities work towards a long-term solution to the growing demand.
Rubanda District Health Officer Dr. David Mpola Mpola commended KADOLHA for documenting the challenges facing the health facilities but said the report had also exposed concerns about staff absenteeism and late reporting for duty, particularly at Health Centre II and Health Centre III facilities. He urged facility in-charges to strengthen supervision and ensure health workers report for duty on time.
The District Secretary for Health and Education, Obed Mutatiina Kitabutuuka, also cautioned health workers against absenteeism and late reporting, saying increased public access to information had made it easier for communities to scrutinise service delivery. He said government had increased health workers’ salaries in recent financial years, raising public expectations for improved performance and accountability.
“These days, advanced communication technology such as social media has empowered locals with information. They know you’re scientists and how much you earn. These reports of absenteeism and late reporting to work will not be accepted by these informed community members,” Kitabutuuka said.
Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Rubanda West Hillary Bindeeba said the RDC’s office would lead a team of district authorities on a fact-finding mission to investigate concerns raised in the report, particularly staff absenteeism. He warned that the team would conduct unannounced visits to health facilities to establish whether health workers were reporting for duty and providing services as expected.
Bindeeba said government investments in the district’s health sector should not be taken for granted and warned that poor performance would not be tolerated.
The pressure on health facilities comes as the government invests in expanding health infrastructure and improving services across the district. Rubanda District Hospital, which previously operated as a Health Centre IV, was elevated to hospital status, with up to UGX 18.5 billion allocated for infrastructure development, recruitment of specialists and other requirements.
Hamurwa Health Centre IV recently received UGX 500 million from the Bank of Uganda, alongside medical equipment, while multi-million-shilling construction works are underway at Bufundi Health Centre III as the government moves to upgrade it to a Health Centre IV. Rubanda District Hospital, which began operating in July 2025, has already recorded a significant increase in demand for maternal health services.
Rubanda District LC5 Chairman Stephen Ampeire Kasyaba said his office had been informed that the average number of women delivering by Caesarean section at the facility each month had risen from 45 in the 2024/2025 financial year to 95 by October 2026. The increase highlights the growing demand for specialised maternal care, even as infrastructure development continues.
However, delays in completing construction works have left patients and health workers grappling with inadequate space, adding to the challenges identified by the community monitoring exercise. The report calls attention to the need to match infrastructure improvements and expanding services with adequate staffing, medicines, beds, and other resources to ensure that growing patient numbers do not compromise the quality of care.
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