Kabale Regional Referral Hospital (KRRH) board members and top management have identified key service delivery and management issues requiring reform after a benchmarking visit to Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH) on Wednesday, citing Lira’s operational systems as a reference point for improvement.
The delegation, led by Kabale Regional Referral Hospital Board Chairperson Dr. Ananaria Muhunde and Hospital Director Dr. Filbert Nyeko, undertook the visit to study how Lira Regional Referral Hospital has addressed persistent challenges facing regional referral hospitals, including congestion, limited infrastructure, staff motivation, and the growing demand for specialized services.
Discussions during the benchmarking exercise focused on critical areas such as quality of clinical care, infrastructural planning, hospital land management, operationalization of private wings, and the use of research and data to guide management decisions.
Lira Regional Referral Hospital Hospital Director Dr. Andrew Odur said the hospital’s progress had been driven by deliberate systems thinking and continuous self-assessment, noting that benchmarking helps institutions confront weaknesses and identify practical solutions.
“Benchmarking gives us space to reflect on what is working and what needs improvement. The challenge is not only to perform well, but to sustain and improve on those standards,” Dr. Odur said.
He added that Lira Regional Referral Hospital continues to grapple with a high patient load but has prioritized orderliness, cleanliness, and efficient patient flow as part of its response to service delivery pressures.
Lira Regional Referral Hospital Principal Hospital Administrator Peter Okello Odeke said the visit created an opportunity for open dialogue on shared operational constraints, including resource limitations and staff welfare, while promoting collaboration between regional referral hospitals.
Dr. Muhunde said Kabale Regional Referral Hospital chose Lira Regional Referral Hospital after observing its rapid improvements, particularly in addressing gaps in specialized care and internal hospital systems.
“We have learned that success is not accidental. It comes from clear thinking, planning, and discipline in implementation,” Dr. Muhunde said, acknowledging that Kabale faces similar challenges that require structured reforms.
Kabale Regional Referral Hospital Director Dr. Filbert Nyeko described the benchmarking tour as eye-opening, noting that lessons from Lira would inform ongoing efforts to improve efficiency and service delivery at Kabale.
Following the visit, Dr. Muhunde urged the Kabale team to translate the lessons into action through what he termed the “Lira Declaration,” a commitment to start with manageable reforms, learn quickly from implementation challenges, and gradually build sustainable systems.
Key practices highlighted during the tour included the provision of super-specialized services such as dialysis and pediatric surgery, effective staff motivation mechanisms, improved hospital layout and walkways to ease congestion, and LRRH’s ability to attract donor support despite resource constraints.
