Kagadi Hospital Restores X-ray Services After 17-Year Hiatus

Joy has returned to Kagadi General Hospital as the facility has recommenced X-ray services after a 17-year gap. The long-awaited diagnostic imaging capability was restored on Monday with the commissioning of a new X-ray machine.

For nearly two decades, patients requiring X-ray examinations at Kagadi Hospital were forced to seek these services at regional referral hospitals in Fort Portal and Hoima, or pay out-of-pocket at private clinics. This lack of essential diagnostic equipment was a significant impediment to providing comprehensive care.

“As a general hospital, this was a big gap in our healthcare system,” stated Mr. Simon Peter Tumusiime, the senior hospital administrator. “We would receive patients who required an X-ray, but because we did not have the service, we ended up referring them.”

The new machine, delivered in September 2025, has already been used to examine eight patients with satisfactory results. The service will be provided free of charge to all patients accessing the government facility. District Health Officer Samuel Onyaiti has warned health workers against any form of extortion, emphasizing that anyone found charging for the service will face individual charges.

The hospital is also prioritizing the acquisition of an ultrasound machine, as ultrasound scanning services have been unavailable for approximately eight years. Additionally, the hospital has recently seen improvements in staffing, with the arrival of new consultants and specialists. To bolster security and prevent theft of equipment and supplies, four Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel have been deployed for an initial three-month period.

Hospital authorities are also working to improve accountability by displaying patient rights and contact information for district officials to report misconduct. While progress has been made in service delivery and reducing complaints of extortion, challenges such as the lack of staff identification tags persist. Kagadi General Hospital has been serving the community since 1968.