BAMA Hands Over Mothers’ Waiting Home to Rukoki General Hospital

Babies and Mothers Alive Foundation (BAMA), with funding from Enabel, has officially handed over a newly constructed and fully equipped Mothers’ Waiting Home to Rukoki General Hospital in Kasese District, strengthening timely access to skilled maternal and newborn care for women from remote and hard-to-reach communities.

Constructed at an investment of about UGX 160 million, the facility provides safe accommodation for expectant mothers, particularly those with high-risk pregnancies, those nearing delivery, and those living far from the hospital. It responds directly to the delays many mothers face in reaching care, especially at night, during the rainy season, and from mountainous communities where transport remains difficult.

The Mothers’ Waiting Home has already started receiving expectant mothers, offering them a safe and dignified space to stay close to skilled care before childbirth. It has nine hospital beds with mattresses, a solar-powered lighting system with charging ports, an open kitchen fitted with cooking stoves where mothers and caregivers can prepare meals, and a sanitation block with separate facilities for women and men. The sanitation block includes latrines, bathrooms with showers, fixed sinks, and a water reserve tank that supplies clean running water throughout the facility.

By bringing high-risk mothers closer to care, the waiting home is expected to reduce delays in accessing obstetric and newborn services, particularly at the onset of labour or during emergencies.

Speaking at the handover, Dr. Martin Kasendwa, Technical Director at BAMA Foundation, said; “This event is more than the opening of a building. It is part of our journey as a country towards safe motherhood,” he said.

Dr. Kasendwa noted that the facility was one of the key milestones under the Mama Rescue: Life-Saving Transport and Saving for Health Project, implemented by BAMA with funding from Enabel since December 2023.

According to Dr. Kasendwa Mama Rescue initiative has so far supported the transport of more than 17,000 women from home to health facilities and enabled about 4,600 emergency referrals between facilities. He emphasised that the waiting home now belongs to the district and should be planned for, maintained and sustained as part of the public health system.

Representing the Ministry of Health, Dr. Richard Mugahi, Commissioner for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, welcomed the facility and urged Rukoki General Hospital to use it strictly for its intended purpose. “This is not a ward. It is a Mothers’ Waiting Home,” he said. “It is for pregnant women who are not sick but need to be near the hospital because they are close to delivery, have a complication, have delivered before by caesarean section, or come from very far.” He called on the maternity team to develop clear criteria so that mothers at highest risk and those from distant communities are prioritised.

Dr. Mugahi contends that the waiting home model was adopted with lessons from places like Bwindi and Rwanda, where similar models have helped mothers in hard-to-reach areas.

Florence Githinji Baguma, Stakeholder Manager at Enabel, said the handover represented hope for mothers and newborns. “We are not only handing over a structure or a building. We are handing over hope,” she said. She noted that the facility is an investment in the health, safety and dignity of mothers and newborns, and urged the district, hospital management and community to take ownership of it for long-term success.

Hon. Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi, LC V Chairperson of Kasese District, thanked BAMA and Enabel for the support, describing the waiting home as a practical intervention against the three delays that contribute to maternal and newborn deaths. “Once a mother is here, the first delay has been addressed, the second delay has been addressed, and even the third delay is reduced because the nurses can monitor her and attend to her appropriately,” he said.

He added; “There is value for money. When you look at the structure, the equipment, the beds, mattresses, sanitation facility, water system and kitchen, you can see that what has been invested has produced something meaningful. We thank BAMA and Enabel sincerely. Personally, I have a passion for fighting maternal and newborn deaths, and this facility is a practical contribution to that cause.”

The Resident District Commissioner of Kasese District, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, also commended BAMA and Enabel for standing with the district in improving health service delivery. He said the facility had now been handed over to the district, making maintenance and proper use a shared responsibility. “From the donors to us, the responsibility for maintenance is now ours,” he said, urging hospital administrators and health workers to ensure the facility remains functional and well managed.

In his report, Dr. Wefula Edward, Medical Superintendent of Rukoki General Hospital, said the hospital serves communities across Kasese District and beyond, including Busongora North, Busongora South, Kasese Municipality, parts of Bukonzo East, and neighbouring districts. He noted that in FY2025/26, the hospital registered 1,603 first ANC visits, 6,673 maternity admissions, 1,118 maternity referrals and 4,815 deliveries, underscoring the need for a safe space where high-risk mothers can stay while awaiting delivery.

Dr. Wefula expressed appreciation to BAMA for the contribution, saying the facility would have a lasting impact on maternal and newborn health in Kasese District and beyond.

“On behalf of the Hospital Management, staff and the communities served by Rukoki General Hospital, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to BAMA for this remarkable contribution,” Dr. Wefula said. “Your support will have a lasting impact on maternal and newborn health by improving access to safe motherhood services and helping save the lives of mothers and babies across Kasese District and the surrounding catchment area. We look forward to continued partnership in strengthening healthcare services.”

Mr. JB Mpirweh, Community Liaison Officer for the BAMA Mama Rescue Project, highlighted the importance of emergency transport partnerships in sustaining maternal referral services. He appreciated the Kasese ambulance system and called for continued engagement of private ambulances, noting that one private ambulance had supported more than 400 referral cases under the project.

The Mothers’ Waiting Home is expected to improve timely access to skilled birth attendance, reduce delays in emergency obstetric and newborn care, support monitoring of high-risk pregnancies, and contribute to better maternal and newborn outcomes in Kasese District.

Dr. Amon Bwambale, the District Health Officer for Kasese District, said the facility had come at a critical time when the district is working to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. He noted that while reporting systems have improved and are helping the district better understand the causes of maternal deaths, preventable deaths remain unacceptable.

“When someone talks about delays as one of the biggest contributors to maternal and newborn deaths, and then brings a structure like this Mothers’ Waiting Home to help address those delays, we know this intervention is important,” Dr. Bwambale said. “It directly responds to one of the problems that has been giving us a hard time. Our hope is that this facility will help us drastically reduce those numbers, ideally to zero.”

BAMA reaffirmed its commitment to continue working with the Ministry of Health, Enabel, Kasese District Local Government, Rukoki General Hospital, health workers and communities to advance Uganda’s maternal and newborn health agenda.