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MRRH’s physiotherapists and students pose with Halson Kagure, the hospitals Spokesperson in a black sweater
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Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) marked this year’s World Physiotherapy Day by celebrating success stories of patients who have regained mobility through therapy, while raising concern over the growing number of patients harmed by traditional bone setters.
The physiotherapy unit at MRRH, established in the 1980s by the late Godwin Kasaija Apuli, has grown into one of the busiest divisions of the hospital. It now handles between 30 and 50 patients daily, offering both inpatient and outpatient services.
During a mini-event to commemorate the day, physiotherapists, students, and hospital staff gathered to reflect on their work. Halson Kagure, the Hospital Public Relations Officer, represented the administration.
Physiotherapists in the making share cake to commemorate their day at MRRH
Senior Physiotherapist Night Atwongyeire said demand for physiotherapy is rising, with patients ranging from accident survivors and stroke patients to children and women recovering from fistula surgery. She stressed that physiotherapy often succeeds where medicine alone cannot, either as a standalone treatment or in combination with other interventions.
One of the division’s recent success stories is 65-year-old Lubega Kakooza, a resident of Biharwe, who slipped and fell in his bathroom six months ago. Arriving at the hospital in a helpless state, Kakooza was advised to undergo physiotherapy. Initially hesitant, his family eventually enrolled him in the program. Today, he has regained mobility and even drives himself again.
“Delayed physiotherapy can hinder recovery, and in some cases, patients arrive with complications caused by traditional bone setters,” Atwongyeire noted, warning that such delays can prolong treatment or even cost lives.
Hospital officials expressed concern that traditional bone setters continue to lure patients away from hospitals, often worsening their conditions. Dr. Deus Twesigye, the Acting Director, has repeatedly urged city authorities to regulate their activities.
Kagure echoed this concern, saying the administration has intensified public sensitization to counter misinformation. He also pointed to the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act, 2019, which empowers government to regulate traditional healers, encouraging those with herbal knowledge to collaborate with research institutions like Mbarara University.
“It is very sad when you visit the surgical ward and find patients who were deceived by these bone setters, only to return with badly damaged limbs,” Kagure said. “Some of these patients were here before but abandoned treatment in search of quick fixes.”
World Physiotherapy Day is celebrated globally on September 8. This year’s national commemoration was held in Gulu District under the theme “Healthy Aging and the Role of Physiotherapy in Preventing Falls and Frailty.”
For Mbarara Hospital, the celebrations highlighted both progress and challenges. The growing demand for physiotherapy demonstrates its vital role in comprehensive patient care, but also calls for stronger regulation of harmful practices that undermine recovery.
Torch Media Africa
