By Spy Uganda
The Director of Kiruddu National Referral Hospital, Dr. Charles Kabugo, has issued a stark warning over stagnant water collecting dangerously close to high-voltage electrical installations, saying the situation poses a serious risk to patient safety and hospital operations.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Dr. Kabugo revealed that persistent moisture and water pooling near key electrical components could result in short circuits, electrical faults, and corrosion — potentially leading to the failure of life-saving equipment and large-scale blackouts within the hospital.
“This water is putting the hospital’s critical systems at risk. If nothing is done urgently, we may soon face catastrophic failures that could endanger lives,” Dr. Kabugo said.
The hospital chief explained that prolonged exposure to moisture threatens the integrity of sensitive electrical infrastructure, with the potential to compromise both performance and lifespan of the systems. He said engineers have warned that continued dampness could lead to rusting and eventual breakdowns.
Despite multiple efforts to engage the Ministry of Health and relevant technical engineers, the issue remains unresolved. In the meantime, hospital management has resorted to short-term interventions, including manually draining the stagnant water at regular intervals to prevent further damage.
“These are only stop-gap measures,” Dr. Kabugo cautioned. “We cannot afford to wait any longer. This is a public health facility — any system failure could have deadly consequences.”
The PAC, which had summoned the hospital director over unrelated matters of accountability, expressed concern over the revelations and committed to holding an internal session to discuss possible interventions.
“We appreciate your honesty and the urgency of this matter. We shall take it up with the relevant ministries to ensure it is addressed,” one committee member responded during the hearing.
Kiruddu Hospital, one of Uganda’s key national referral facilities, handles thousands of patients annually. Any infrastructure disruption — particularly to power systems — could severely impact service delivery, including surgeries, intensive care, and diagnostic procedures.
As the rainy season intensifies, hospital officials are urging swift government action to redesign drainage systems and safeguard the facility’s critical electrical installations before disaster strikes.
