Mbarara Referral Hospital WingMbarara Referral Hospital Wing

A new wing for the regional referral hospital, providing maternity, neonatal and paediatric inpatient capacity, two obstetric theatres and an outpatient clinic.

Ventilation is infection control

In a setting where mechanical ventilation cannot be assumed to run continuously, natural ventilation is not the sustainable option — it is the safe one. Ward wings are a single room deep with openable louvres on both sides, giving a measured 12+ air changes per hour under typical conditions. Theatres and the neonatal unit are mechanically ventilated and positively pressured, with generator-backed plant.

Flows

Clean and dirty routes never cross. Sterile supply reaches theatres from a dedicated corridor; used instruments and waste leave by a separate one. Visitors reach the wards without passing through clinical areas. It sounds obvious; it is routinely got wrong, and it is very expensive to fix afterwards.

• 120 beds across four ward wings
• 2 obstetric theatres with a shared 6-bay recovery
• 18-cot neonatal unit including 6 intensive cots
• Outpatient clinic with 14 consulting rooms and a covered waiting garden
• Medical gas plant, standby generation and a 200,000-litre water store

Construction started in January 2025. Phased handover runs through 2027.