A nationwide assessment by the Ministry of Health has identified significant improvements in healthcare delivery at Kagadi General Hospital and across Kagadi District, while highlighting critical staffing shortages and ageing infrastructure that continue to constrain service delivery.
The findings emerged after a team of senior Ministry of Health officials, led by Dr. Henry Gatyanga Mwebesa, Chairperson of the Uganda Health Service Commission, held a six-hour closed-door meeting with the hospital administration and senior medical staff on Wednesday. The visit forms part of a countrywide health service delivery assessment that concludes on Friday.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr. Mwebesa said the exercise is intended to evaluate the quality of healthcare services and identify areas requiring government intervention. He said hospital management reported steady progress in both curative and preventive healthcare, citing improved child immunisation coverage, increased numbers of mothers delivering at health facilities and low maternal mortality.
Dr. Mwebesa commended the hospital’s health workers for their commitment despite operating under challenging conditions.
The assessment comes as Kagadi District reports notable improvements in several health indicators. District records show outpatient attendance increased by 31.5 percent, rising from 155,204 patients in the 2024/2025 financial year to 200,324 in 2025/2026. Malaria cases declined by 25.5 percent, while 98 percent of patients who tested positive received treatment.
Maternal and child health services also improved, with antenatal attendance increasing from 21,519 to 25,798 mothers, while postnatal attendance rose from 18,987 to 23,930. Perinatal deaths declined from 174 to 96 per 10,000 births, and immunisation coverage improved through expanded outreach services. The district also exceeded the global HIV treatment targets by achieving the 99-97-94 benchmark for HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression.
Despite these gains, Dr. Mwebesa said Kagadi General Hospital faces a critical shortage of medical personnel, with a deficit of 12 doctors. He also revealed that the government plans to rehabilitate the hospital’s ageing infrastructure, including staff houses, to improve working conditions and service delivery.
The staffing challenge reflects the wider situation across the district. Health officials say only 351 of the approved 1,114 health worker positions have been filled, leaving staffing levels at just 32 percent. The district also lacks a Health Centre IV, placing additional pressure on Kagadi General Hospital. Other challenges include inadequate staff accommodation, shortages of specialist health workers, limited funding for disease surveillance, poor vaccine storage capacity and inadequate health infrastructure in several sub-counties.
However, district authorities say progress has been made over the past five years through the upgrading of Kyakabadiima and Galiboleka Health Centre IIIs, construction of maternity wards and staff houses, installation of solar backup systems and expansion of vaccine storage facilities. The district is now seeking government approval to upgrade Mabaale and Bwikara Health Centre IIIs to Health Centre IV status, while Ndaiga, Mpeefu, Mugalike, Kyamasega and Galiboleka are proposed for elevation to Health Centre III status.
Other priorities include expanding maternity services at Kagadi General Hospital, rehabilitating Isunga Health Centre III, recruiting additional health workers, procuring an ambulance for Buyaga East and upgrading Kagadi General Hospital to a Regional Referral Hospital to reduce referrals to other districts.
Dr. Mwebesa said the assessment also identified operational gaps affecting service delivery and that the hospital management had been advised on areas requiring improvement.
He expressed confidence that continued investment in health infrastructure, staffing and equipment, coupled with the commitment of health workers, would further improve healthcare services in Kagadi District.
District Biostatistician Richard Ngomiranze Ngora reaffirmed the Health Department’s commitment to improving healthcare services through continued investment in infrastructure, human resources and disease prevention programmes-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
