Sonic Kworo Hospital Welcomes Its First Birth
We are excited to announce, alongside Sonic Healthcare Foundation and Barbara May Foundation, the safe delivery of the first baby at Sonic Kworo Hospital in Pader District, northern Uganda, with the newborn named Barbara in honour of the generosity that helped bring the hospital to life.
"It's not uncommon for women to name their babies in honour of someone, often a family member or even the midwife or doctor who delivered her baby," said Dr Andrew Browning AM, Medical Director of the Barbara May Foundation. "It's a really touching and significant moment, therefore, to hear that Scovia named her baby Barbara. My grandmother Barbara would have been so honoured and humbled to see how far her legacy has reached."
While Sonic Kworo Hospital's formal opening has been rescheduled to next year, antenatal care and some basic intrapartum has already begun for expectant mothers in the surrounding Agago District, in response to early community need.
Among the mothers receiving this care was 21-year-old Scovia, who travelled 15 kilometres to reach the hospital after going into labour. Scovia had been advised earlier in her pregnancy that her baby was in a breech position and that she would need to deliver in a hospital setting. With the delivery room and medical team in place, staff safely managed the birth, and both mother and baby returned home together, healthy, the following day.
Pictured with baby Barbara and her parents is Truphena, our Head Midwife. For many years, Truphena faithfully cared for mothers and babies through Te-Kworo Foundation's Maternal and Child Health Clinic. Today, she leads the midwife team at Sonic Kworo Hospital, where she had the joy of helping deliver the hospital's very first baby.
About Sonic Kworo Hospital
Sonic Kworo Hospital is a partnership between Te-Kworo Foundation, Sonic Healthcare Foundation, and the Barbara May Foundation. Located on 20 acres in Pader District, northern Uganda, the hospital will serve more than 500,000 people across the Pader and Agago Districts – a region where the maternal mortality rate is twice the national average.
Once fully operational, the 42-bed hospital is expected to support:
2,000 safe births annually
Two operating theatres for emergency c-sections and life-saving surgeries
Delivery suites
Dedicated wards for mothers and newborns
A specialised newborn unit to care for sick newborns
A blood bank and birthing suite
Pathology services to improve medical diagnostics and treatment
Antenatal and postnatal clinics and family planning services
A mobile clinic reaching remote villages across four districts of Northern Uganda
Nursing and midwifery training for girls in Te-Kworo Foundation's scholarship program
Looking Ahead
The official launch event for Sonic Kworo Hospital has been postponed to 2027 due to the current Ebola outbreak in Africa. Baby Barbara is expected to be the first of many children who will begin life at a hospital built to give mothers and babies the safest possible start.
More Information about our hospital partners:
Sonic Healthcare Foundation: https://www.sonichealthcarefoundation.com/
Barbara May Foundation: https://barbaramayfoundation.com/