For years, expectant mothers in Uganda’s Nakasongola District have faced significant challenges accessing quality maternal healthcare—often trekking long distances only to find overcrowded maternity wards with limited resources. This dire situation is set to change, thanks to an extraordinary gesture from a retired Scottish fisherman.
William White, 79, has committed Shs2.5 billion to build a modern maternity complex in Nakasongola, a region that lies within Uganda’s cattle corridor. His donation aims to drastically improve maternal and child health outcomes in a district long plagued by inadequate infrastructure and medical equipment.
White’s support goes beyond just constructing a facility. In recent years, he has donated ultrasound machines to Nakasongola Health Centre IV and contributed to establishing an operating theatre at Nabiswera Health Centre IV. His motivation stemmed from witnessing the harsh conditions faced by pregnant women and newborns during a visit in 2024. Shocked by what he saw—including a woman sleeping on a bench outside the cramped 14-bed maternity unit—he resolved to take action.
The lack of nearby healthcare services forces many, like Elizabeth Nabaggala of Kalungi Sub-county, to walk more than 17 kilometres to reach the nearest facility. When she gave birth to her first child in 2022, she had to wait for hours on the floor due to overcrowding. Her experience is echoed by many others, some of whom have to sleep outdoors, while staff struggle to meet demand with only two delivery beds available for over ten daily births.
Dr Henry Ssendikadiwa, who heads Nakasongola Health Centre IV, acknowledges the overwhelming patient numbers, with up to 3,000 outpatient visits each month. He says the maternity ward’s congestion has long been a crisis and welcomes White’s intervention as a beacon of hope.
The upcoming maternity complex is designed to offer comprehensive services, including 42 beds, two operating theatres, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a paediatric ward, an isolation unit, a high-dependence unit, anaesthetic facilities, and staff quarters. According to district health officer Dr Agaba Byamukama, the centre will serve not only Nakasongola but also neighbouring districts like Amolatar, Kiryandongo, and Nakaseke—where patients often travel long distances, even crossing Lake Kyoga, to seek care.
For women like Tezera Ssenabulya, a Village Health Team member, the dangers of reaching healthcare are not forgotten. In 2004, while seven months pregnant, she and her husband encountered a leopard during a 23-kilometre bicycle journey to the health centre. Though unharmed, the memory still haunts her. She now hopes the new facility will spare other mothers similar trauma.
Health authorities have submitted a request to the central government to upgrade Nakasongola Health Centre IV to district hospital status. Dr Byamukama notes that many smaller health centres lack maternity departments, leaving mothers with few options. Alongside White’s donation, the district has allocated Shs200 million to purchase 52 ICU beds, further enhancing critical care services.
The Ministry of Health has pledged its commitment, with Dr Rony Bahatungire confirming plans to equip the facility with medical supplies and staff. District chairperson Sam Kigula reports that earlier donations from White—including five ultrasound machines—have already reduced emergency referrals and improved local diagnostic capabilities.
White, a former boat skipper, funded the project through his family’s fishing business and personal savings. He began supporting maternal healthcare in Uganda after observing first-hand the suffering of expectant mothers. In 2024, he facilitated the delivery of five ultrasound machines from Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, Scotland, to Nakasongola, greatly improving diagnostic capacity in the region.
The maternity complex, now 80 percent complete, is being built by Linear Engineering Services Limited, led by Managing Director Livingstone Sseruyange. It is scheduled to open by October 2025 and is expected to become one of the most advanced maternal health facilities at the Health Centre IV level in Uganda.