Villa Maria Hospital


Villa Maria Hospital is a hospital in the village of Villa Maria, Kalungu District, Central Uganda. It is a private, community hospital, serving the village of Villa Maria and surrounding communities in Kalungu District. It is the only general hospital in the entire district. Villa Maria is located approximately, by road, southwest of Kalungu, where the district headquarters are located. This location is approximately, by road, north of Masaka, the nearest large city.

Overview

Villa Maria Hospital is a rural, private, community, non-profit hospital. A small fee is charged for treatment, but no one is turned away for lack of funds. The hospital is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka. It is accredited to the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau and is managed by the Daughters of Mary Sisters, the first religious congregation of indigenous African women, in sub-Saharan Africa.

History

The hospital was founded in August 1902 by the missionary sisters of Our Lady of Africa, also referred to as the White Sisters, as an aid post for victims of sleeping sickness, which was endemic in the area at that time. In 1976, the hospital administration was transferred to the Daughters of Mary Sisters, who administer it today. The hospital started St. Lawrence School of Nursing & Midwifery in 1979.