Rwebyambu asks Leave for Mothers of Preemies
Staff and management at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in western Uganda marked the World Prematurity Day with a call to the government to provide special leave days for working mothers in both public and private sectors who give birth to premature babies.
This request was made by Hon. Ayebare Margaret Rwebyambu, the Mbarara district Woman Member of Parliament during celebrations held at the Pharmacology Theatre at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). She emphasized the importance of mothers being present for their premature infants who require special care.
Hon. Rwebyambu also expressed gratitude to the government for addressing challenges such as the limited number of health workers and inadequate space in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the hospital by constructing a new facility. She urged the government to recruit more critical health staff to enhance care.
Dr. Oriokot Francis, the deputy director of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital thanked partners like UNICEF, USAID, the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health for their ongoing support. He noted that
while progress has been made in creating a new facility for premature infants more nursing and medical staff and essential supplies are still needed to support the hospital’s operations.
