Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has ordered a comprehensive investigation into conditions at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital after an unannounced midnight inspection revealed severe congestion, medicine shortages, staffing challenges and complaints from patients over delays in accessing care.
The minister’s surprise visit on Saturday night left him concerned about the state of service delivery at one of Uganda’s largest referral facilities, where patients and caregivers reported overcrowded wards, shortages of essential medicines and being forced to seek supplies from private pharmacies.
According to reports from local media, Dr. Baryomunsi found patients struggling to access services and received complaints of alleged misconduct by some health workers, including claims that patients were asked to pay unofficial fees for services.
One caregiver reportedly alleged that a patient was asked to pay Shs250,000 for an X-ray examination, resulting in a six-day delay before the service was accessed.
The minister directed hospital authorities to investigate the allegations and take immediate corrective action.
The inspection comes amid long-standing concerns about pressure on Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, which serves patients from across Western Uganda and neighbouring areas.
The hospital administration has previously attributed many of its challenges to rising patient numbers, limited infrastructure and inadequate resources. Acting Hospital Director Dr. Deus Twesigye has said the facility is operating beyond its intended capacity, with high patient volumes stretching available staff and equipment.
Mbarara Hospital was originally designed for a smaller patient population but has continued receiving increasing numbers of referrals requiring specialised services. Previous reports indicated that the facility handles hundreds of outpatients daily and admits hundreds of inpatients, creating pressure on wards and medical teams.
The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) also raised concerns over staffing levels, saying that during the minister’s midnight visit, medical interns were among those providing overnight services.
“Guess who the minister found on duty at 1am? Medical Interns,” UMA said in a post, questioning the continued delays over intern allowances.
The crisis at Mbarara Hospital has previously been linked to shortages of medicines, equipment breakdowns and limited staffing.
A parliamentary review in 2025 highlighted concerns over inadequate medical equipment and infrastructure at the facility, including challenges affecting diagnostic services.
Hospital officials have also repeatedly cited staffing shortages. Dr. Twesigye previously said the hospital was operating with staffing levels far below requirements, affecting service delivery and forcing reliance on medical trainees and university-linked personnel.
The Ministry of Health has not yet released details of the investigation timeline or named officials who will conduct the probe.
However, Dr. Baryomunsi’s intervention is expected to focus on allegations of corruption, availability of medicines, staffing levels, patient congestion and the general quality of care at the referral hospital.
Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital is a government-owned teaching and referral facility serving the Western Region of Uganda and works closely with Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s medical school.
Health advocates have warned that without increased investment in staffing, infrastructure and medical supplies, referral hospitals across Uganda will continue facing pressure as patient numbers grow faster than available resources
