Kampala, Uganda — Arab Contractors will on Thursday morning hand over to government a newly completed, fully-equipped, 450-bed Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital built within Mulago. Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda will commission the new icon of health service delivery.

The sh110 billion facility will open to the public on Monday 17th, and according to health experts, will help decongest the main hospital and reduce maternal plus newborn deaths in Uganda.

The new fully-equipped Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital will have 450 beds -- with a 60-bed unit for the private wing.

Mulago Hospital carries out up to 33,000 deliveries annually with many mothers delivering on the floor due to limited bed capacity. With 336 deaths per 100,000 live births, Uganda's maternal mortality rate is still among the highest in Africa and in the world.

Construction of the unit started in 2015, was funded through a loan from the Islamic Development Bank.

The Islamic Development Bank offered a $28m (Shs 98bn) loan while government invested $ 3.4m (Shs 11.9bn) in the project. It was built by Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman and Company) and supervised by Joadah Consult Ltd.

The Hospital will offer the following specialized services:

Reproductive medicine (Assisted Reproductive Technologies, laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery);

Maternal Fetal Medicine (high risk pregnancies, women with organ transplant, women with recurrent pregnancy loss, In-vitro fertilization (IVF)pregnancies);

Urogynaecology (Ureteric re-implantation, complex fistula surgeries and Vaginal hysterectomies reconstruction surgery following Female Genital Mutilation, and advanced reconstructive Gyn surgery);

Gynaecological-encology services (Cervical, Vaginal, Endometrial, Ovarian and Vulval cancer surgeries); and

Advanced Neonatal medical and surgical services.