28 Sep 2026

Mochudi District Hospital is facing a shortage of space in its emergency ward and mortuary, a situation that is placing increasing pressure on the hospital’s ability to provide services to patients while also putting a heavy workload on medical staff.

The concerns were raised during a full council in Mochudi, where Dr Maduke Kula from DRM spoke about some of the challenges currently affecting the facility.

Dr Kula said the hospital has limited capacity in both its emergency ward and mortuary, with the mortuary having only six beds. 

He explained that the limited space has sometimes forced the hospital to keep deceased persons in wards that were used to house admitted patients.

The situation he said, was a result of lack of adequate space to accommodate the deceased at the mortuary. 

He said the situation created an added challenge for the hospital, which must continue attending to patients while also dealing with limited facilities for handling deceased persons.

Dr Kula further told the council sitting that there were currently two unidentified foreign bodies at the hospital’s mortuary. 

He said the unidentified bodies were occupying some of the limited spaces available, further reducing the mortuary’s capacity to accommodate other deceased persons who may be brought to the facility.

In relation to the emergency unit, Dr Kula said the facility’s ward had only six beds, despite the number of patients who required emergency medical attention.

He urged members of the public to make use of clinics for primary healthcare services instead of going directly to the district hospital for conditions that could be managed at clinics. 

This, he said, would help reduce the pressure on the hospital and allow its emergency services to focus on patients who require urgent medical attention.

The shortage of space was also placing considerable pressure on doctors and other healthcare workers. 

Dr Kula said doctors were overworked because they were required to attend to different patients within the limited space available.

The situation demonstrates the pressure that limited infrastructure can place on a healthcare facility. 

While doctors and other medical workers were expected to provide care to patients, the shortage of beds and space limits the hospital’s capacity to accommodate everyone who arrives seeking treatment.

The matter raised by Dr Kula has brought attention to the need for adequate capacity at DRM, particularly in areas such as emergency services and mortuary facilities.

Until additional capacity becomes available, the hospital will continue to rely on the efficient use of its limited resources, while residents were being encouraged to make use of primary healthcare facilities for services that can be provided at clinic level.

The situation also serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring that healthcare facilities have sufficient infrastructure to match the needs of the communities they serve.

For Mochudi District Hospital/DRM, the shortage of emergency and mortuary space remains a significant challenge. ENDS