Adjumani Hospital Faces Severe Crisis Amid 400% Surge in Deliveries

Adjumani General Hospital is grappling with a severe healthcare crisis as a massive surge in patient numbers overwhelms the facility’s fragile infrastructure and overstretched medical personnel. Originally constructed in 1997 as a 100-bed hospital to serve a much smaller population, the facility now struggles to cater to a district population exceeding 500,000, which includes more than 350,000 refugees from South Sudan.

The crisis is most alarming at the Maternal and Child Health department. Admissions in the maternity unit have skyrocketed by over 400 percent, with the hospital delivering around 400 babies every month. Between July and September, the facility welcomed at least 1,100 babies while recording 37 neonatal deaths.

Due to extreme congestion, dozens of expectant and nursing mothers are forced to sleep on bare floors, rest under hospital beds, or wait on verandas and under trees. Dr. Henry Lulu Leku, the Assistant District Health Officer, noted that the sudden withdrawal and reduction of international donor funding have significantly accelerated the strain on health service delivery.

Medical workers report that the facility is operating at more than triple its installed capacity. While international partners like the United Nations Population Fund and the Danish government have stepped in with temporary measures—such as erecting a tent structure and deploying extra staff—resources remain dangerously thin. Officials report that only one or two midwives are typically available per shift, far below the required minimum of five to ensure safe care.

For more details on the situation at Adjumani General Hospital, read the full report on Daily Monitor.