A 25-year-old Rwandese woman has spent more than a week stranded at St. Francis Mutolere Hospital in Kisoro District after failing to clear her maternity bill following the birth of her baby girl.
Musanase Brenda was admitted to the facility last week with labor pains and successfully delivered her child. However, she has been unable to pay her hospital charges, initially assessed at Shs 280,000. In consideration of her situation, the hospital reduced the amount to Shs 100,000, but she still cannot raise the money.
Before her delivery, Musanase worked as a bar attendant in Kekubo near the garage area of Kisoro Municipality, while residing in Kisoro Hill. She told journalists that the man responsible for her pregnancy, only identified as Derrick, abandoned her and has since become unreachable.
Holding back tears, Musanase appealed to well-wishers for financial support so she can settle her bill and return home to Rwanda. She revealed that her father disowned her after learning about her pregnancy, leaving her without any family support.
CUE IN MUSANASE….ON THE CALL…..RR//
Vailet Nahurira, a resident of Karumena village in Kamonyi ward and former employer of Musanase, confirmed that she had worked at her bar for two months. Nahurira said she only discovered Musanase’s pregnancy after advising her to undergo a medical check-up.
CUE IN NAHURIRA…..ON THE MATTER…..ENG//
Attempts to obtain an official comment from hospital authorities were unsuccessful by press time. As of now, Musanase remains at Mutolere Hospital with her newborn daughter, hoping a Good Samaritan will come to her rescue.
This is not the first such incident at the facility. On February 3, 2025, a 48-year-old Congolese refugee, Dusabe Nyiramahirwe, was detained for three weeks after failing to clear Shs 302,000 medical bill.
She had been admitted with a fractured leg, and though her husband raised Shs150,000 through manual labor, the hospital allegedly refused to release her until full payment was made.
These cases have reignited debate about the rights of patients and the impact of medical debt in Uganda, with growing calls for stronger oversight and regulation of healthcare facilities, particularly those serving vulnerable and low-income communities.
