By Nickson Fred Obuku
The Woman Member of Parliament for Kiryandongo District, Ms Jovia Katusiime Mbabazi, has called for the urgent revamping of Kiryandongo General Hospital to enable it handle emergencies, particularly road crash victims along the Kampala-Gulu Highway.
Ms Mbabazi made the call on Thursday while appearing before Parliament’s Health Committee, chaired by the Minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, and attended by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine.
She said the hospital’s strategic location along the busy highway puts it under pressure whenever road crashes occur, yet it lacks critical equipment and services required to manage emergencies.
Ms Mbabazi asked the Ministry of Health to improve the hospital’s mortuary, install a CT scan and establish a functional Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“Kiryandongo General Hospital serves not only the local population but also road crash victims, travellers, tourists, refugees and neighbouring communities,” she said.
She said upgrading the hospital would strengthen emergency response and reduce the need to refer critically injured patients to distant facilities.
The Ministry of Health acknowledged the gaps but said the installation of a CT scan requires specialised personnel, including radiologists, who remain in short supply.
The ministry also said it has prioritised regional referral hospitals for CT scan installation before extending the service to strategically located general hospitals.
“We know that Kiryandongo is on a highway and it lacks quite a number of equipment, including a CT scan. We wanted to first prioritise regional referral hospitals,” a ministry official told the committee.
The ministry cited Kayunga and Naguru hospitals among facilities that still lack CT scans, saying limited funding has slowed the expansion of diagnostic services.
It also dismissed concerns that ICU equipment procured during the Covid-19 pandemic had remained idle, explaining that the equipment has progressively been put into use as the necessary infrastructure is completed.
The ministry assured the MP that Kiryandongo had not been forgotten and would be considered after the government completes equipping referral hospitals.
“We need to go systematically. Once we equip all referral hospitals, we shall come down to those special highway hospitals. Kiryandongo is one of them, alongside Kiboga, Nebbi and Moyo,” the ministry said.
Other highway-based hospitals, including Iganga, are also being considered for improved diagnostic and emergency care capacity, including CT scans and ICU services.
Ms Mbabazi maintained that strengthening Kiryandongo General Hospital would benefit not only residents but also motorists, travellers, tourists and communities along the Kampala-Gulu transport corridor.
