Current Overview . . .

Rugarama Hospital is a private not-for-profit Hospital founded by the Church of Uganda (Anglican). The Hospital Mission Statement is: "To work as a team to offer quality services, meet the community's physical, mental and spiritual health needs, while showing the love of Jesus Christ." It now has a busy out-patient department and more than 77 in-patient beds in the following wards: men, women, maternity, children, eyes, and isolation. It is registered as an NGO Hospital with the Ministry of Health, and affiliated to the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau. There are 40 medical staff and 27 support staff. In 2004, over 20,0000 patients (an average of more than 60 patients per day) were treated. The total number of admissions (in-patients) in 2004 was 2,469 (1,764 general medical, 274 malnourished children, 82 premature babies and 35 deliveries). Patients pay small user-fees, which we try to keep as low as possible for poor people.

Our specialties include:

• Care for premature babies (District Referral center with 3 incubators), which is unique in South-West Uganda
• Care for malnourished children, including associated education for mothers
• Care for HIV/AIDS patients (with voluntary testing and counselling, and Ministry of Heatlh Accreditation for supplying free Anti-Retro-Viral Therapy)
• Eye care with regular cataract surgery
• A very busy Dental Department

The Hospital also carries out weekly outreach visits to schools and villages for health prevention, promotion and curative care. A variety of health training courses are held in the training suite.

There is no other part of Rugarama that makes the growth so obvious than the expansion of our buildings. This growth has already started years ago but there are already many plans for future projects of RHC. The new maternity and paediatric department building opened in December 2003. A playroom for physiotherapy and play therapy was completed in February 2005 and the expanded Dental Department started operating in July 2005 in its new building. After having built a double-storey staff block with 4 flats last year, in October 2005 the construction of two Senior and Junior Staff houses was completed. This helps us attract more qualified staff. The obstetric operating theatre and the X-ray department are nearly ready and the remaining equipment will arrive in November 2005.