Tororo General Hospital Struggles Without Functional X-Ray Machine for Over Seven Years

Tororo General Hospital, a vital government facility with 200 beds, has been crippled by the lack of a working X-ray machine for more than seven years. The hospital caters to residents from Tororo, Busia, Bugiri, Butaleja, Manafwa, Mbale, Namisindwa districts, and parts of western Kenya.

The new X-ray equipment, lobbied for by Tororo District Woman MP Sarah Achieng Opendi in 2019 when she served as State Minister for Primary Health Care, arrived without its essential starter. Acting District Health Officer Connie Bwire noted that this part is not available on the open market, leaving the machine idle despite the hospital’s readiness to serve.

Health workers report constant disruptions, especially for emergency cases involving injuries. Patients requiring X-rays are referred to private clinics in Tororo Town, charging Shs20,000 to Shs50,000, or to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. Hospital senior administrator Proscovia Awino highlighted during an Inspector General of Government visit that these referrals cause treatment delays, financial burdens, and even deaths en route.

One expectant mother, Scovia Nyawere from Nabuyoga Town Council, was referred from Mulanda Health Centre IV to Tororo Hospital for an ultrasound but ended up paying over Shs100,000 at private facilities like Divine Mercy Hospital and Joint Clinic.

During the IGG’s spot check last Monday, Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala ordered arrests of three staff members—the senior administrator, her deputy, and mortuary attendant—for alleged corruption, including demanding payments for free services and directing patients to external pharmacies despite available stock.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)