Joy has returned to Kagadi General Hospital after 17 years, with the facility finally resuming X-ray services following the commissioning of a new machine on Monday.
For nearly two decades, patients requiring radiological investigations at the hospital had to be referred to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital and Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, or pay out of pocket at private facilities.
The new machine is expected to improve diagnosis and treatment, reduce referrals and strengthen the hospital’s capacity to provide comprehensive general hospital services.
Mr Simon Peter Tumusiime, the senior hospital administrator, said the absence of an X-ray machine had been a major gap. ‘As a general hospital, this was a big gap in our healthcare system. We would receive patients who required an X-ray, but because we did not have the service, we ended up referring them to Fort Portal. The hospital has spent 17 years without this machine,’ he said.
He said the hospital had already used the new equipment to examine eight patients since installation, with results reportedly satisfactory.
Tumusiime said the lack of the service had also affected the hospital’s image and performance. ‘Now that it is here, we shall have no further excuses and shall handle patients at any time. The services are free of charge,’ he said.
The machine was delivered to the hospital in September 2025 but remained under installation and assembly, with technical guidance from Ministry of Health officials. Tumusiime said the service will be provided free of charge to all patients accessing the government facility.
Mr. Samuel Onyaiti, the Kagadi District Health Officer, warned health workers against charging patients for the X-ray service. ‘To all medical officers, endeavour not to involve yourselves in patient extortion. Whoever is convicted will be charged individually,’ he said.
Kagadi General Hospital has previously faced allegations of patient extortion, although hospital authorities have denied the allegations, citing lack of evidence against individual staff members.
Onyaiti pledged that the district would support the hospital in maintaining and repairing the equipment to ensure continuity of the service.
With X-rays now available, hospital authorities say their next priority is securing an ultrasound machine. Onyaiti said the hospital has gone about eight years without ultrasound scanning, creating another gap in diagnostic care.
The hospital is also facing staffing challenges, though authorities say there has been recent improvement. The facility has recently received two medical consultants and two additional specialists, including a surgeon and a gynaecologist. Four medical interns are also expected to join once issues surrounding their government payments are resolved.
Ms. Carlorine Nanshemeza, the Kagadi Resident District Commissioner, said the district had secured four Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel to support security at the hospital for three months. ‘We have had cases of theft at the facility. To address the issue, we have deployed four UPDF officers to boost security at the hospital, people and their property, and medical equipment,’ she said.
She said continuation of the deployment would depend on the security situation and recommendations from hospital administrators, and cautioned health workers against involving the officers in illegal activities.
Mr. Ellygard Tumusiime, the Kagadi District LCV chairperson, called for the installation of CCTV cameras across the hospital premises. ‘These cameras will help us know who entered which office and the activities performed,’ he said.
He alleged that some health workers had previously diverted government medicines to private clinics, leaving patients without essential medicines, and said cameras could strengthen accountability.
Hospital authorities say service delivery has improved slightly compared with the previous situation. Some structures have undergone minor renovations, while complaints of patient extortion have reduced following increased monitoring by district leaders.
Security and information notices displaying patients’ rights and the free nature of government health services have also been placed around the hospital. Telephone contacts for the hospital administration, RDC, LCV chairperson and DISO have been displayed on walls and doors to allow patients to report suspected cases of extortion and other misconduct.
Mr. James Luyimbazi, the Chief Administrative Officer, cautioned health workers to observe professional ethics. ‘Medical professionals should stick to professional ethics and avoid the temptation of charging patients in a government institution intended to provide services at no cost,’ he said.
However, the issue of staff identification tags remains unresolved, with patients still facing difficulty identifying health workers attending to them.
Kagadi General Hospital has been serving the area since 1968, long before Kagadi District was established in 2016.