A woman has died at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, having spent six years in the Intensive Care Unit.
The hospital announced the death of Claire Kirabo, describing her as its longest-staying ICU patient.
“Our Longest Staying ICU Patient Is No More. Ms. Claire Kirabo has been under the care of our dedicated multidisciplinary ICU team for 6 years. Admitted unconscious, she later regained awareness. She now holds the longest ICU stay record,” the hospital said.
Kirabo was admitted on August 18, 2020, after she was found unconscious at her home. She was first taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital but later transferred to Mbarara because the ICU equipment in Masaka was not working.
Doctors diagnosed her with a stroke at the base of the skull. The condition affected her ability to breathe without support.
Health workers inserted a tube into her trachea and placed her on a ventilator. She remained dependent on the machine throughout her stay.
Kirabo later regained consciousness and could communicate using a computer donated by her physiotherapist, Zilla Whitehouse. She used her eyes to form sentences and alert caregivers when she needed food or other assistance.
Before her illness, Kirabo worked as a secretary in the office of the Lwengo Resident District Commissioner. She was a mother of two children.
Her family faced heavy medical and feeding costs during her admission. In 2022, relatives said they spent millions of shillings each month on treatment, specialised food and tests conducted outside the hospital.
Hospital staff described her survival as remarkable because most ICU patients stay for only a few weeks or months.
