Jinja Regional Referral Hospital is facing a critical staffing crisis, with only 32% of the required workforce currently in place, according to the hospital's director Alfred Yayi.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee at the Parliament of Uganda, Dr. Yayi revealed that the facility has just 410 staff members against a required staffing level of 1,261.

"The number of health workers is critically low," he said, warning that the shortage is placing immense pressure on the hospital's existing personnel and affecting the quality of patient care.

He particularly highlighted the shortage of nurses and midwives, who are expected to make up 51% of the hospital's workforce but currently account for only 30%.

The staffing challenges at the Jinja facility reflect broader systemic gaps within Uganda's healthcare sector. A recent report by the Office of the Auditor General pointed to staffing deficits of more than 90% in critical care services across regional and national referral hospitals.

The report attributed the shortages to several factors, including stringent entry requirements, inadequate wage allocations and significant pay disparities between public service and private medical practice.

Health sector stakeholders warn that unless urgent interventions are implemented to recruit and retain health workers, the staffing crisis could continue to undermine service delivery at major public health facilities.