Customer care and retention in Uganda’s public hospitals: insights from Mulago specialized women and neonatal hospital

Customer care is a key determinant of patient satisfaction and retention in Uganda’s public hospitals, where high patient volumes and resource constraints often affect service quality. This study examined the relationship between customer care and patient retention at Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital. The objectives were to evaluate the quality of customer care, identify factors influencing patient perceptions, and assess how patient demographics relate to their experiences. A mixed methods approach was used, collecting quantitative data from 384 patients via structured questionnaires and qualitative insights from semistructured interviews with patients and healthcare providers. Findings revealed that staff professionalism, hospital cleanliness, and empathetic communication strongly predict patient satisfaction and retention, with a significant positive correlation between customer care quality and retention (r = 0.75, p < 0.01), accounting for 56% of the variance; age and socioeconomic factors also shaped patient experiences. These results highlight that enhancing customer care is crucial for improving patient loyalty and overall health outcomes, and suggest that targeted staff training, patient-centered service strategies, and infrastructural improvements should be prioritized. The study also emphasizes the need for public healthcare policies that strengthen service quality, foster patient trust, and support sustainable retention in Uganda’s hospitals.