As Uganda joined the world to mark World Prematurity Day on November 17, a visit to the Toto Ward at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital revealed both progress and serious challenges in caring for premature babies.
The ward, which serves as the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), currently cares for 55 premature and sick newborns. Inside the building, temperatures are kept warm to help the fragile babies stay alive. Shoes are left at the door to keep the room clean and safe.
Among the parents in the ward was Patrick Mugyenyi, a resident of Rubirizi District. His baby boy was born at six months and has spent over two months in the hospital.
“We delivered the baby on September 4. It has been two months and three weeks here. The baby has complications, and it has not been easy,” he said emotionally while gently massaging his son’s feet.
Another mother, Sarah Amumpaire from Mbarara District, gave birth to her baby at six months on October 23. She was referred to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital due to the baby’s fragile condition.
“This is my third child, but the first premature baby I have ever had. It was very frightening,” she shared.
A Story of Survival and Giving Back
Louise Kyalisiima, a mother of seven-year-old twins born at 27 weeks, says her difficult journey inspired her to help others.
One of her twins weighed less than one kilogram at birth.
“I spent three months in the hospital. It was very hard emotionally,” she recalled.
Her experience motivated her to start the Leeds Support Centre for Prematures, an organisation that supports families emotionally, physically, and through follow-up visits.
Inside the NICU: How the Babies Are Monitored
According to Flora Habyara, a nurse in the NICU, the unit is divided into three sections:
Critical NICU section – for very sick babies needing oxygen and close monitoring.
Preterm section – for babies who are stable but still require warmth and feeding support.
Stable term section – for full-term babies who are recovering.
“Right now, we have 55 babies in the three units. The first unit has 25, and the rest are in the other sections,” Habyara explained.
A New NICU Bringing Hope — But Staffing is a Major Challenge
With support from the World Bank, the government is constructing a new state-of-the-art NICU building, a four-floor facility equipped with machines worth Shs 4.5 billion.
However, Dr. Erias Kumba Kumba, Head of Pediatrics, warns that the biggest challenge is staffing.
“We need at least 100 nurses to run the building and its services. Right now, we have only eight—three supported by government and the others by different projects. Eight nurses alone cannot run a unit of this size,” he said.
The modern equipment also requires biomedical engineers, but the hospital does not have enough of them.
A Call for Support
The hospital’s progress shows Uganda’s commitment to supporting premature babies, but the shortage of staff, equipment maintenance needs, and the emotional burden on parents remain major challenges.
Families, health workers, and advocates hope that with more investment and support, more premature babies in Uganda will survive and live healthy lives.
