Leaders in Kagadi District have called on government to urgently intervene and address persistent challenges facing Kagadi General Hospital, including critical staffing shortages, dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate medical equipment, and insufficient funding that continue to undermine healthcare service delivery.
Kagadi General Hospital serves an estimated population of 471,111 people, according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census. The facility serves residents from 35 lower local government units, 16 of which lack Health Centre III facilities, making the hospital a key referral point for the district.
Local leaders say the challenges have forced many patients to seek treatment from private health facilities, exposing them to high medical costs and exploitation.
Established in 1968, Kagadi General Hospital is currently operating at only 43 percent staffing capacity. Several of its structures, including staff houses, male and children’s wards, are in a deteriorating state. The hospital also faces infrastructure challenges such as leaking roofs in the boardroom and dental unit, worn-out paint, and aging buildings requiring urgent rehabilitation.
The hospital’s accountant, Mr Musiime Miladi, said the facility operates on an annual budget of Shs1.15 billion, which is insufficient to meet its growing healthcare demands.
‘About 50 percent of the hospital budget is allocated to medicines supplied through the National Medical Stores. The remaining funds are used to facilitate essential operations, including fuel, community outreach activities, patient referrals, maintenance of infrastructure, and ambulance services,’ he explained.
The hospital administrator, Mr Simon Peter Tumusiime, cited inadequate staffing, shortages of doctors, insufficient medical equipment in the maternity ward and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, lack of a Class B ambulance, and dilapidated staff accommodation as some of the major challenges affecting service delivery.
Kagadi District Chief Administrative Officer, Ms Pauline Epodoi Opio, said the limited resources available to the hospital are largely consumed by infrastructure maintenance, leaving little funding for healthcare services.
‘Given the current status of Kagadi General Hospital, it is difficult for the facility to effectively function as a general hospital. We need adequate staffing, improved infrastructure, and increased funding. At the moment, the hospital only receives support from Baylor Uganda, which cannot address all our operational needs,’ she said.
Ms Opio added that the district’s wage bill is insufficient to recruit additional health workers despite the acute staffing shortages.
‘Unless the wage bill is increased, we cannot overcome these challenges. Government should consider supporting Kagadi in the same way it has recently supported districts such as Kiryandongo, Kamuli, and Masindi. Our Members of Parliament need to advocate for this matter,’ she added.
She further revealed that the hospital has lost several specialists due to poor working conditions, including a gynecologist who recently resigned from public service.
Overcrowding remains another major concern. Wards designed to accommodate about 100 patients are frequently overwhelmed by the growing number of admissions. In the maternity ward, some expectant mothers reportedly sleep on the floor due to a shortage of beds, while others are unable to receive recommended postnatal care because of limited space.
Despite these operational challenges, Kagadi Resident District Commissioner Ms Caroline Nanshemeza expressed concern over allegations of extortion by some health workers.
‘The biggest challenge at the facility is the extortion of patients. We have received reports that some health workers demand up to Shs300,000 from expectant mothers before offering services. Many of these patients cannot afford such payments. We are investigating these allegations and those found culpable will be arrested and prosecuted,’ she said.
She further alleged that some patients who fail to raise the requested money are referred to private clinics owned by health workers, where they face additional costs.
In response, Mr Tumusiime said all services offered at the hospital are free of charge and warned staff against engaging in any form of corruption.
‘This is a government health facility where services are provided free of charge. I strongly caution any staff member involved in illegal charges to stop immediately or face interdiction and prosecution. We have instituted investigations to identify and punish the culprits,’ he said.
Buyaga East Member of Parliament Mr Stephen Twesige, who recently visited the hospital, pledged to push for government intervention.
‘Based on my assessment, this facility does not meet the standards expected of a general hospital. The staffing levels, infrastructure, and financial support are inadequate. In fact, before treating patients, the hospital itself requires urgent treatment because it is in a sorry state,’ he said.
Mr Twesige called for a comprehensive rehabilitation plan, including construction of new buildings and provision of modern medical equipment.
‘This hospital was established in 1968 and has gone decades without major rehabilitation. Once these gaps are addressed, government can consider upgrading it to a referral facility, especially because the nearest regional referral hospitals in Hoima, Fort Portal, and Mubende are approximately 100 kilometres away,’ he added.
Kagadi General Hospital gained national recognition during its response to the Ebola outbreak in 2012, partly due to its strategic location near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Legislator Mr Twesige said it is unfortunate that despite its importance in managing cross-border disease outbreaks, the facility continues to struggle with longstanding challenges that affect service delivery.