Jinja, Uganda –  The Minister of State for Health in charge of General Duties, Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya, has commended the management and staff of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH) for their dedication, teamwork and commitment to delivering quality healthcare services despite the challenges associated with staffing gaps, increasing patient numbers and limited resources.

The Minister made the remarks yesterday, October 29, 2026, during a support supervision visit to the hospital, which also included the inauguration of the newly constituted Hospital Management Board.

During her engagement with hospital management, staff and political leaders, Hon. Kawooya expressed satisfaction with the hospital’s overall performance, particularly its strong institutional leadership, effective teamwork, commitment to duty and prudent utilisation of available resources.

Having visited several departments and service points, the Minister observed that despite the pressure arising from high patient numbers and inadequate staffing, healthcare workers remained committed to their responsibilities, ensuring that patients continued to receive the care they needed.

She particularly commended the hospital for maintaining full staff attendance among personnel scheduled for duty on the day of her visit, describing the level of commitment as commendable and worthy of emulation by other health facilities.

“Jinja Regional Referral Hospital has demonstrated that with good management, teamwork and proper planning, a lot can be achieved even with the limited resources available. I have gone around the hospital, and I am satisfied with what I have seen. There is certainly room for improvement, but so far, so good,” she observed.

The Minister further encouraged other regional referral hospitals and health facilities to benchmark against JRRH, noting that the institution had demonstrated commendable progress in infrastructure development, service delivery and partnerships with development partners.

She recognised the hospital’s ongoing infrastructure improvements and efforts to strengthen service delivery, including developments in the Outpatient Department and maternity services. She pledged to continue advocating for government support towards addressing the hospital’s infrastructure needs, particularly the expansion of maternity services to accommodate the growing number of mothers seeking care.

On human resource challenges, Hon. Kawooya informed staff that government had initiated a recruitment process to bring on board approximately 120 additional health workers in the current financial year, as part of broader efforts to strengthen staffing across public health facilities.

She also acknowledged concerns raised by staff regarding duty scheduling and work-life balance, encouraging hospital management to continue exploring practical arrangements that protect staff welfare while ensuring uninterrupted patient care.

During the interactive session, medical interns raised concerns regarding access to their online assessment platforms and the provision of lunch during their rotations. Other staff members highlighted challenges relating to promotions and the recent Health Service Commission recruitment processes.

The Minister welcomed the concerns and reiterated the importance of constructive engagement between health workers, hospital management and the Ministry of Health in finding sustainable solutions.

She also issued a strong warning against self-medication and the proliferation of improperly regulated pharmacies around health facilities. She called upon the relevant authorities, including the National Drug Authority, to strengthen inspections and ensure that pharmacies operate within the established regulatory framework.

She cautioned that inappropriate dispensing of medicines without proper prescriptions could contribute to antimicrobial resistance and complicate treatment for patients who eventually seek professional medical attention.

The Minister further emphasised the government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, drug theft, diversion of government medicines and extortion of patients in public health facilities. She urged health workers to uphold professional ethics and remember that every action or omission in healthcare has a direct bearing on the lives of patients.

“Every single drug you take away from a public health facility could mean taking away someone’s chance to receive treatment. We are here to save lives, and corruption should have no place in our health facilities,” she emphasised.

She reaffirmed her commitment to working closely with hospital management and political leaders to address the challenges affecting service delivery, noting that support supervision should be an opportunity for dialogue, mutual accountability and joint problem-solving rather than fault-finding.

The Minister also encouraged Jinja Regional Referral Hospital to sustain its performance and continue pursuing its ambition of attaining National Referral Hospital status, noting that its progress demonstrated its capacity to take on an even greater role in Uganda’s healthcare system.

The visit culminated in the inauguration of the new Hospital Management Board, which is expected to provide strategic oversight, strengthen institutional accountability and guide the hospital in advancing its service delivery mandate.

The Minister congratulated the incoming Board members and called upon them to serve with integrity, commitment and a strong sense of responsibility to the people who depend on the hospital.

The support supervision visit reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with public health institutions, recognising good performance and addressing operational challenges to improve the quality of healthcare services across the country.

By Martha Agama Elizabeth