Health 22 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Overcrowded Wards and Endless Queues Highlight Bukedi's Health Crisis
Health facilities in Uganda's Bukedi sub-region are overwhelmed by surging patient numbers, with shared beds, crowded corridors, and exhausted staff exposing deep gaps in infrastructure amid population growth and preventable diseases. Poor sanitation and high fertility rates exacerbate the strain on limited resources. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/long-queues-crowded-wards-expose-health-gaps-in-bukedi--5432240
In Bukedi sub-region, encompassing districts like Tororo, Busia, Pallisa, Budaka, Kibuku, and Butaleja, health centres face daily chaos as queues form before dawn. Mothers hold feverish children while elderly patients wait hours against walls, and nurses rush through packed hallways showing clear signs of fatigue.
At Pallisa General Hospital, designed in 1969 for 100 beds and a smaller population, facilities now serve over 450,000 people. Patients share beds or sleep on floors, with Dr. Godfrey Mulekwa, the district health officer, noting the mismatch between rising population, new diseases like cancer and hypertension, and outdated infrastructure. Even recent staff additions can’t handle the outpatient overload.
Similar pressures hit Kibuku Health Centre IV, where hallways double as waiting areas amid constant noise and heat. Health workers endure long shifts, expressing burnout from too many patients and scarce resources. At Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, children’s wards see multiple kids per bed, and corridors fill with those awaiting care.
Preventable illnesses drive up to 75% of cases, per Budaka’s Dr. Elisa Mulwani, fueled by poor sanitation, weak hygiene, and low awareness. The area’s high fertility rate of 7.3 children per woman heightens demand. Retired worker Sam Wajega calls it a capacity crisis, urging infrastructure expansion and preventive measures like better education and outreach.
Despite the odds, dedicated staff improvise and persevere as patients keep arriving around the clock.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)