In Summary: Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital has introduced new restrictions on the number of caretakers allowed per patient and designated visiting hours in an effort to reduce ward congestion, improve infection prevention and give health workers more space to provide care.
Mbarara, Uganda — Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) has introduced new guidelines limiting the number of caretakers allowed per patient and restricting visiting hours as management moves to address congestion and improve patient care.
Hospital spokesperson Halson Kagure confirmed the measures, saying uncontrolled numbers of caretakers and visitors were contributing to overcrowding in wards already constrained by limited physical space.
Kagure, who also serves on the hospital’s Quality Improvement and Infection Control Committees, said the restrictions were intended to promote patient safety, prevent infections and ensure that medical teams can perform their duties without unnecessary interruptions.
He emphasised that the guidelines were not intended to inconvenience patients’ families but to help the hospital maintain recommended healthcare standards.
Under the new arrangements, general wards will allow a maximum of one caretaker for a stable patient and two caretakers for a critically ill patient.
In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Accident and Emergency Department, only one caregiver is permitted, although they may be temporarily asked to leave when medical teams need space to carry out procedures.
Access to the resuscitation room is strictly prohibited for caregivers, with hospital management warning against instances where staff face resistance when attempting to remove caretakers occupying beds intended for patients.
To support implementation, the hospital has introduced daily patient engagement meetings and placed notices in different wards outlining the new requirements. Ward managers, ward in-charges and security personnel are expected to support enforcement, while patients and their families have been asked to cooperate with the arrangements.
Hospital introduces three daily visiting periods
In addition to limiting caretakers, management has designated three daily visiting periods, with visitors permitted access between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, and 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
Ward in-charges and health workers on duty have been directed to ensure visitors observe the designated hours. Kagure said the restrictions were intended to create a more conducive environment for patients, caregivers and health workers while reducing unnecessary movement and congestion within the facility. The measures come amid longstanding concerns about limited space at the hospital.
Dr Deus Twesigye, the Acting Senior Executive Consultant and Senior Consultant General Surgeon, previously said the hospital was struggling with space as it awaited a government project to construct multi-storey buildings in phases.
Twesigye warned that overcrowding in wards disrupts doctors and other health workers on duty while increasing the risk of cross-contamination and hospital-acquired infections.
Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital is a major referral facility serving communities across western Uganda and neighbouring countries. The supplied hospital information estimates its wider catchment population at more than 11 million people, including approximately 6.5 million within the Ankole region.
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