Construction of Shs1.9 billion diagnostic facility starts in Tororo

A sigh of relief is sweeping through Tororo district and Bukedi Sub-region after Joint Medical Stores (JMS) in partnership with Tororo Archdiocese commissioned the construction of the first diagnostic facility in the area. This facility is expected to strengthen diagnostic capacity across the entire eastern region of Uganda and part of western region of Kenya.

The leaders and locals said the facility will improve access to timely, affordable testing and imaging services and will also shorten hospital stays in the sub-region.

The construction of the long-awaited Shs1.9 billion diagnostic facility at St Anthony Hospital Tororo was flagged off at the weekend by the Archbishop of Tororo Dioceses, Dr Emmanuel Obbo. It is expected to be completed in six months.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Dr Obbo said the facility will reduce the long distances patients travel in search of specialised care.

“I lost my mother due to delayed access to specialised care,” he said.

He called upon health workers at the facility to serve with integrity and passion once the facility is complete and becomes operational next year. Dr Anthony Okoth, the hospital chief executive officer, said the facility will speed up diagnoses and reduce the time patients spend travelling between different departments and referral sites.

“A cardiologist may possess expertise to diagnose and treat heart diseases, but without equipment such as a Doppler ultrasound scan machine, the specialist cannot adequately evaluate blood flow patterns in the heart to guide treatment. Therefore, quality diagnosis and quality treatment are inseparable,’’ he said.

Dr Okoth disclosed that the new facility will provide expanded laboratory services, digital imaging (X‑ray, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI), fluoroscopy, endoscopy, pathology and integrated outpatient diagnostic clinics.

He said the hospital is engaging willing specialists such surgeons and paediatricians to ensure that once the facility is operational, they will provide same-day or rapid-turnaround results for common diagnostics, and support referral hospitals with more complex testing.

The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Tororo, Mr Sadik Bategana, said the facility will save people from the high costs they have been incurring to access specialised medical services in the region.

He added that quicker access to reliable tests will improve treatment decisions and outcomes, particularly for cancer, infectious diseases and chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Dr Daniel Mark Lutalo, the manager of biomedical at Joint Medical Stores, said the construction of the facility will proceed in phases to allow the hospital to continue serving patients.

Dr Andrew Opete, a district health official, emphasised the importance of modern equipment, trained technicians and efficient patient flow to realise the project’s goal.

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