UTH runs out of male ward beds, temporarily accommodates men in female ward

THE University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Adult Hospital has run out of bed spaces in the male ward, forcing some male patients to be temporarily accommodated in sections of the female ward.

However, the hospital has clarified that this is only a temporary measure taken under exceptional circumstances when all male wards are fully occupied.

In a statement, UTH public relations officer Mwiza Mwiya said the hospital has recently recorded a sharp increase in the number of male surgical patients, many of whom are victims of road traffic accidents, falls from construction sites, and prostate-related conditions.

She said such cases often require longer hospital stays, leading to higher bed occupancy rates in male wards compared to female wards.

“To ensure that no patient in need of care is turned away, the hospital has, on rare occasions, accommodated stable male patients in separate cubicles within female wards,” Ms Mwiya said.