St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum

St Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum is located in Kitgum Municipality about 3 kms from the Kitgum town center. It is a private not for profit public hospital under Gulu Archdiocese and belongs to the Network of Uganda Catholic Health facilities.

The current hospital capacity is 280 beds. The hospital was established 1960 with 100 beds.

The present hospital started as a clinic (Aid Post) under the veranda of the Comboni Sisters in 1925. Later in 1938 a dispensary was opened under a Mango tree in the convent of the Comboni Missionaries (sisters). The dispensary, under the mango tree provided OPD services for minor ailments and was run by Comboni Sisters.

The Second World War interrupted services and the dispensary temporarily closed. After the world war the Verona Fathers and Sisters consulted the local community occupying the present land the hospital is located to provide the land for development. The community willingly accepted and evacuated the place. To evacuate or move aside means “Nyiki” in luo.

In 1952 a block was constructed and the dispensary was upgraded to a health center that provided maternity and OPD services. Two years later, 1955 the Provincial Medical Officer Gulu visited the facility and noted the very good work being done and encourage collaboration with the government hospital to improve and provide services.

Funds for additional new construction came through the Comboni Missionaries who also managed the hospital on behalf of the Bishop of Gulu Diocese.

There was rapid infrastructure development in the health center and in January 1960 the Ministry of Health upgraded the health center into hospital with 100 beds. Since that time the hospital grew to a bed capacity of 350 beds because of demand during the peak of insurgency in Kitgum, however with the return of peace the capacity has been downsized to 280 beds.

The comboni Sisters left active management of the hospital in 1971. Since then the hospital is managed by, Board of Governors led by the Archbishop of Gulu and the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu provide a fundamental input in the management of the hospital

Vision

St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum vision is:

“To be a Centre of excellence in providing medical services to the population of Northern Uganda and beyond“

The vision of the hospital services is a healthy and reconciled life for all individuals, their families and their communities based on the concept of Primary Health Care and ensuring strategy of Health for All:

The individual, the families and the community pursue a holistically healthy life style (physical, social and spiritual aspects of life).
The families and the communities are empowered to accompany those who suffer.
Those who suffer find support, care and treatment in a spirit of Christian Solidarity.

Mission

St. Joseph’s Hospital mission follows from the Mission Statement of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, which has been integrally adopted by the Archdiocese of Gulu.

The mission is derived from the mission of the Catholic Church which has a mandate based on the imitation of Christ and His Deeds and is;

“To promote life to the full and to heal“
The services provided are committed to a holistic approach in healing by treating and preventing diseases, with a preferential option for the less privileged.

The person (human being) is the centre of all activities and a basic attitude of respect for the human dignity is the guideline for all interventions.

The hospital will aim to promote access to health care for the less privileged and vulnerable social groups like women, children, the financially destitute, and chronically ill. To this purpose the hospital is a non-profit making institution of the Catholic Church.

Since the person is at the centre of all the activities of the hospital, a basic attitude of respect for the human dignity will be the guidance for all and no distinction of ethnic origin, social status; religious or political affiliation will be made.

Overall Objectives
This objective is derived within the framework of Uganda Health Sector Strategic Plan, Millennium Development Goals and it’s based on the hospital Vision and Mission statement. St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum has set an overall objective for the next five years;

“To improve the health status and socioeconomic conditions of the people of Northern Uganda and beyond by being a key provider of quality healthcare“.
To achieve the overall objective, the hospital has identified seven strategic objectives that it will implement over the planed period. These are divided into three categories: the first address service delivery objectives, the second address capacity building objectives, while the third address construction, equipment and plants:

Service Delivery Objectives

To consolidate core areas of in-patient, out-patient and community based health services delivery.
To consolidate and introduce a select number of specialized services directly expected to improve patients care, physiotherapy, clinical pastoral care, etc.
To reinforce the hospital′s learning and teaching collaboration role by improving epidemiological and information analysis, hospital diagnosis and information documentation and offering community based training attachments for university students and other medical and paramedical students.
Capacity Building Objective
To secure, train and retain a sufficient number of qualified satisfied and committed personnel through development of comprehensive human resources strategic plan
To secure and manage hospital funding at a sustainable level through improved financial and materials management, accountability, effectiveness and costs control and diversification of hospital funding base
To re-orient and improve hospital activities towards quality of service and humanity of care
To enhance the hospital′s knowledge in management and communications capacity through effective and functional committees and upgrading ICT
Construction, Equipment and Plants
To provide satisfactory accommodations to the relevant hospital′s staff
To expand the space for quality services and care
To improve the efficiency of services and health information system and communication
To widen the financial base so as to facilitate sustainability.
Specific Objectives
The hospital has developed eight specific objectives below in order to meet the overall objective and strategic objectives stated above. The specific objectives to achieve the overall objective include;
To provide curative services to the service area population, patients referred from other units and those requesting assistance in line with the Uganda Treatment Guidelines.
To provide integrated preventive and promotional health care services to the service area population in accordance to the Uganda Minimum Health care Package and catholic Health policy.
To secure the presence in the hospital of an apostolic community composed of Religious, Clergy and Catholic Laity to animate the people of God in the hospital.
To ensure the services are accessible without discrimination to the vulnerable, less privileged and very poor both socially and financially.
To plan, budget, manage and monitor all the services in a cost effective, transparent and sustainable manner.
To collect, compile, analyse and use the data or information in view of improving the effectiveness of the health interventions and the efficiency of the hospital.
To perform the duties related to supervision of the community owned resource persons in the service area allocated in Kitgum District, dialogue with the community towards improvement of the health of the people and as member of the Kitgum District Health Team.
To ensure that the hospital complies yearly with the accreditation criteria set by the Archdiocesan Health Coordinator and the UCMB.

Goal
The goal of St. Joseph’s hospital is derived from its very nature as a catholic founded, private and not for profit and from the catholic health mission. The goal is therefore:

“To enhance the partnership with the public health actors and other relevant stakeholders at the national and district level in faithfulness to the mission“

The hospital will remain an active operational partner of the national and district health system and contribute to the national health objectives in accordance to its status and the catholic health mission. The hospital will strengthen the partnership with all the different relevant stakeholders to make it effective and durable.

The main area of concern will be adherence to the participation in the national and district policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation, and correct use of accountability of the government subsidies.
Philosophy
The philosophy of St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum is derived from its nature as a catholic founded, private and not for profit and its mandate to serve the less privileged and the most vulnerable in the community. The philosophy is therefore to:

“Journeying with the sick and finding Peace and Joy in comforting the dying and the afflicted“

All the hospital’s staff will contribute towards holistic healing of the patients with total dedication, respect, empathy, and harmony. The staff will realize that the hospital is a holy ground where one encounter the Creator and patients realize the Hands of God at work, and the dying gets consoled.

Services

St. Joseph’s hospital provides both clinical and tertiary services, the services rendered defines the core features of the organization activities with a variety of publicly funded health and disability services such as medical, surgical, maternity, diagnostic , community, technical and emergency services.
At St. Joseph’s hospital the services are provided on an inpatient basis where patients are admitted to the hospital and stay overnight, daycare where patients are admitted to hospital and discharged later the same day, and outpatient where patients attend clinics where they receive specialist services without being admitted to hospital basis depending on the type of care that a patient needs.

Inpatients, Outpatients & Day Services
Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy
Laboratory services
X-ray services & Ultrasound
Outreach programmes
Community & Home Activities
VCT & PMTCT Sites & ARV Programme
Nutrition Services
Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative
Community Health Workers
Electrical installation
Information Systems Management
Plumbing services
Woodwork Services
Mechanical Services
Library & Research
Training & Social Welfare
Accommodation/Guest Wing For Visitors
Mortuary Services
District EMRS (Ambulance Services)
District Medical Officers
Community Support Groups
NGO′s & CBO′s
Ophthalmic service