KAMPALA – Mbale City Industrial Division Member of Parliament Hon. Karim Masaba has raised serious concerns over the handling, storage and preservation of deceased persons at Mulago National Referral Hospital, calling for urgent improvements in mortuary services to uphold human dignity.
Masaba questioned the conditions under which bodies are kept at the hospital, drawing attention to the adequacy of the facilities, storage arrangements and procedures used in managing deceased persons.
The legislator argued that the handling of deceased persons requires proper standards, adequate infrastructure and effective management systems to ensure that families are not subjected to further distress when identifying and collecting their loved ones.
He called for improvements in Mulago Hospital’s pathology department, emphasising the need for dignified treatment of the deceased and better management of mortuary services.
Masaba’s concerns emerged during a meeting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (Central Government), where hospital officials appeared to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended 2025.
During the engagement, Mulago Hospital Executive Director, Dr Rose Byayima, informed the committee that the hospital had the capacity to accommodate up to 150 bodies.
Byayima also explained that the hospital operates three emergency entry points for medical emergencies, providing details about its operational capacity as legislators examined issues affecting service delivery at the national referral facility.
The meeting was chaired by the committee’s Deputy Chairperson, Hon. Sarah Iwansansula, who led the engagement with hospital officials as legislators scrutinised matters arising from the Auditor General’s findings.
Masaba’s intervention puts renewed focus on the importance of accountability and improved healthcare infrastructure, particularly in areas that directly affect patients, bereaved families and the dignity of deceased persons. His concerns also raise questions about whether existing mortuary facilities and management procedures are sufficient to meet the demands placed on one of Uganda’s major referral hospitals
