In Dokolo, Uganda, the very foundation of healthcare is cracking under immense pressure. Health leaders are urgently warning that a severe shortage of nurses and midwives is pushing their dedicated staff to breaking point. With a growing population and an overwhelming workload, the quality of care for countless patients is now at serious risk.
This critical concern was highlighted during recent celebrations for International Nurses and Midwives Day, where healthcare professionals passionately advocated for more support, emphasizing that “Life Deserves Care.”
Everline Tracy Ajuno, who leads the Nurses and Midwives Union in Dokolo, explained just how dire the situation is. Nurses and midwives make up a huge 67% of Uganda’s healthcare workforce; they are the true backbone. Yet, their numbers are dangerously low compared to the soaring demand. Imagine this: in some health centers, one nurse is left to care for an astounding 100 patients.
This impossible workload means these essential workers are constantly doing more than their eight-hour shifts, often working around the clock. This relentless pressure takes a heavy toll on their mental well-being, their family lives, and their ability to provide their best care.
Ajuno made an urgent appeal to the government:
1. Recruit more nurses and midwives immediately. We need more hands on deck.
2. Improve their well-being. This means better salaries and fairer working conditions.
3. Protect them. It’s unacceptable that healthcare workers face threats and hostility from some community members. Local leaders must step up to educate everyone on how vital these professionals are.
Despite these immense challenges, Ajuno also urged nurses and midwives to continue their compassionate work and uphold their professional standards. They are true heroes, but they cannot do it alone. Dokolo’s health system, and the lives it protects, desperately needs this support now.