Residents in Kawempe are threatened by the continuous sewage overflow from Kawempe Referral Hospital to their places of work and residence, exposing them to high risks of acquiring diseases.

For over three months, sewage overflows to the drainage channels later making its way to residents’ homes, shops and churches. Bithum Jeremy, a resident of Kawempe accuses the hospital of mismanaging sewage and calls for immediate intervention to stop further problems.

“The hospital has been so reluctant on the issue of managing waste and because of that, the stench around Kawempe Referral Hospital is now unbearable. It is an issue that must be addressed immediately,” Bithum said.

Another victim, Kwagala Janice, a worshipper at Bible Gospel Church says that they always put services on hold especially during the rainy season as waste from the hospital floods the church making it hard for believers.

Biyinzika Ruth, a patient at Kawempe Referral Hospital also says that the overflow of sewage usually makes toilets hard to be used as they have a backflow of waste in the toilets that sometimes floods the toilet floors.

“Though there haven’t been any cholera cases at the hospital, the continuous exposure of people to sewage may lead to an outbreak of cholera to both the residents and doctors,” Juliet Nakiito, a nurse at the hospital explained.

However, John Baptist Ebaat, the hospital administrator in an interview said that the complaints about sewage were raised and the problem is being worked on. He said the renovation work had started and the pipes are now being laid to connect to the main sewer line and stop overflows. He also added that the renovation process will be complete in about two months’ time

“The main challenge we had was the struggle to empty the four hospital septic tanks more often because of the increasing number of people at the hospital,” he said. Ebaat also apologized to the neighbouring communities and assured us that all the renovation would be complete soon.

“As a hospital, we apologize for the stench at the hospital and promise to resolve this problem before the end of this year,” he added.

The hospital has been in the spotlight over the poor management of waste, with critics warning that the health facility was becoming a major risk to patients and the neighbouring community.