Assessing the Impact of Medical Interns on Healthcare Delivery at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. A cross-sectional study

Background. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), quality of care is how health services in a given population yield desirable outcomes and align with evidence-based professional knowledge. This study aimed to assess the impact of medical interns on healthcare delivery at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with three time points at Kawempe National Referral Hospital (KNRH), a national referral hospital for obstetrics and gynaecology. All patient records for the two time periods were reviewed, and the data were exported for statistical analysis. Results. Admissions in the hospital registered a slight decline of 0.35%, whereas the hospital register registered a decline in emergency procedures performed by 7.31%. There was an increase in the performance of elective procedures such as TAH (23.8 to 51.5%), vasectomy (1 to 99%), and elective c-section (24.1 to 35.8%). There was a decrease in maternal deaths during the period with no interns, and the number increased after return (27.4% to 24.1% to 48.5%). There was an increase in referrals (35 to 37.7%). Delivery outcomes included a significant decrease in FSB (42.2% to 29.5%), MSB (45.3% to 33.7%), and LNND (38.6% to 25.9%). Delivery outcomes included a significant decrease in FSB (42.2% to 29.5%), MSB (45.3% to 33.7%), and LNND (38.6% to 25.9%), and a decrease in vacuum deliveries (52.1 to 14.5%). Conclusion. The presence or absence of medical interns affected the hospital metrics during the study periods at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. The presence or absence of medical interns affected patient outcomes at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Recommendation The Ministry of Health, the National Internship Committee, and the Ministry of Finance should develop policies that ensure the uninterrupted deployment of medical interns in public facilities.