Patients and caretakers at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital were left stunned after Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi made an unannounced midnight visit that exposed a series of troubling challenges facing one of Uganda's busiest referral facilities.
During the inspection, the minister found overcrowded wards, poor sanitation in some sections of the hospital, and critically low staffing levels during the night shift. In one of the most concerning findings, only two medical interns were reportedly on duty in the Intensive Care Unit despite the heavy patient load.
Caretakers also voiced emotional accounts of relatives waiting for days without receiving treatment. Several alleged that some health workers demanded payments of up to UGX 250,000 for X-rays and diagnostic scans, claims that left many families struggling to access essential care. Similar allegations of unofficial payments have surfaced previously during oversight visits to the hospital, raising continued concerns about service delivery.
Responding to the concerns, the hospital's acting leadership attributed many of the challenges to overwhelming patient numbers that far exceed available funding and resources. Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital serves as the main referral and teaching hospital for western Uganda and regularly handles patients referred from several surrounding districts, placing enormous pressure on its facilities and workforce.
Dr. Baryomunsi directed that a comprehensive investigation be launched into the reported extortion allegations and instructed hospital management to urgently improve security and strengthen service delivery.
The visit comes at a time when Uganda's health sector is facing wider workforce challenges. Government's planned policy to discontinue medical intern allowances from August 2026 has generated concern among health professionals and legislators, who argue that interns provide a vital part of staffing in public hospitals. Cabinet has since indicated the policy is under review following public and parliamentary pressure.
The developments also highlight the broader strain on Uganda's healthcare system, where shortages of doctors continue to stretch services, contributing to heavy workloads, long waiting times and increasing pressure on already limited resources.
As investigations begin, many patients and health advocates will be watching closely to see whether the minister's surprise inspection leads to lasting reforms and improved conditions for both healthcare workers and the thousands of Ugandans who depend on Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital every day.