Kadaga summons Health Minister over Mulago computed tomography scan services

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has directed Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng to appear before the house and explain the status of Computed Tomography-CT scan services at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

A CT scan machine is used by medical facilities to capture images that provide detailed information of internal body organs such as brain, lungs, heart, kidney and liver for diagnostic purposes.

Yesterday, Bugangaizi East MP, Onesimus Twinamasiko raised concern about the absence of CT scan services in the causality ward of Mulago National Referral Hospital as a matter of national importance.

In his statement to the house, Twinamasiko noted that patients in need of CT scan services in Mulago causality ward turn to other government facilities or private hospital, which is cumbersome and costly.

CT scan services in private facilities in Kampala cost on average between Shillings 200,000 and 300,000.

Twinamasiko alleged that some patients have lost their lives due to failure by doctors to detect the extent of their problem.

Twinamasiko appealed to government to urgently procure a new CT scan machine for the hospital.

The Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng wasn’t present in the house to respond to the matter.

As a result, the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga directed that she appears on Tuesday to give a status of CT scan services in Mulago hospital.

A 2017 report by the Observer indicated that Mulago National Referral Hospital handles between 30 and 40 patients in need of CT scan services each day, 75 percent of them are accident victims.

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