By URN
Fifty-two year-old Efrance Kobusingye, a resident of Nyaruhanda in Kitagwenda District, has given birth to quintuplets after waiting 32 years for a child.
The three girls and two boys were delivered via Cesarean section at Neo Care Clinic in Mbarara City, seven months into her pregnancy. They were later transferred to the intensive care unit at Holy Innocents Hospital for further treatment.
Kobusingye, who is married to 62-year-old retired teacher Tunanukye Clesensio, expressed her joy and surprise at delivering five children after many years of uncertainty. “I had many checkups at various hospitals, but none could explain the challenges I was facing. I’m excited but also feel helpless, having spent so much money trying to conceive over the years,” she said.
Her husband, Tunanukye, echoed the sentiment, noting that the quintuplets brought immense joy to their long marriage, which began when Kobusingye was 19. Dr. Aheisibwe Hillary from Neo Care Specialised Hospital & Fertility Center explained that the couple sought assistance at the facility in early March due to complications related to conceiving.
“We performed In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), where an egg was fertilized with sperm in a laboratory and later returned to her womb,” he said. Due to complications, the babies had to be delivered at seven months, but Dr. Aheisibwe expressed happiness that they were born alive, though with some breathing difficulties.
Dr. Aheisibwe noted that infertility remains a significant challenge in Uganda, affecting around 15 out of every 100 households, but indicated that advances in fertility treatment, such as IVF, offer new hope to couples. A nurse at Holy Innocents’ Hospital, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed that the babies are now stable and improving compared to when they were first admitted.
