Direct Relief's Activities in Partner Profile - Rugarama Hospital
Location: Kabale
Rugarama Hospital is one of two hospitals in Kabale district; the other is the government referral hospital. Founded by the Anglican-based Church of Uganda, Rugarama is a private, not-for-profit hospital that serves an average of 22,000 people annually.
Rugarama Hospital has 93 beds and offers an array of primary care services, including eye care, dental services, and the only neonatal services available in Kabale and the surrounding districts. Rugarama works closely with Marie Stopes International in Uganda and participates in their voucher program which provides antenatal, delivery, and transportation costs to women to encourage them to seek antenatal care and deliver with a midwife, nurse, or doctor.
Direct Relief is providing all necessary equipment for basic and comprehensive emergency obstetrics at Rugarama and is collaborating with the district medical officer, AMREF Uganda, and Marie Stopes International to assess provision of maternal and neonatal health services in Kabale.
To improve the provision of emergency obstetric care in Kabale District, Direct Relief is outfitting Rugarama’s recently built surgical theater. This facility is the only functioning theater in the district outside of Kabale District Referral Hospital, which currently handles all medical emergencies and planned surgeries. Expanding access to emergency obstetric care in the district will help save the lives of mothers who experience complications during delivery, one of Direct Relief’s key areas of focus.