Hoima hospital dialysis unit to ease patient burden in western Uganda

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For the first time, residents of Hoima and neighbouring districts can access dialysis treatment locally, following the opening of a specialised unit at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital.

The unit, located in the hospital’s newly built Intensive Care Unit (ICU), will focus on treating kidney failure and related conditions, which until now required patients to travel long distances to facilities in Kampala.

According to Dr Ibrahim Bwaga, acting director of Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, patients with kidney failure or respiratory complications have been referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital because local facilities could not handle such cases.

While launching the unit on August 12, 2025, Dr Louis Nyende explained that dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure in which waste products are removed from the blood using a machine.

He urged the community to embrace regular medical check-ups to prevent acute kidney injuries.

Dr Nyende noted that the facility is well-equipped with both technology and trained personnel, and that its focus will be on treating acute kidney injuries to reduce cases of chronic kidney disease, which is more complicated and costlier to manage.

He observed that many patients seek help only in the late stages of the disease due to a lack of awareness.

“Patients with kidney failure have to travel for several kilometres to access dialysis services in Kampala. Starting today, we are going to be providing dialysis services at Hoima regional referral,” he said.

According to Dr Nyende, kidney damage can result from hypertension, infections such as malaria, the use of painkillers, and self-medication.

Immaculate Kabategeki, a nurse in the dialysis unit, said chronic kidney patients often require treatment three times a week.

In Uganda, dialysis is mostly paid for out-of-pocket, with government hospitals charging between 70,000 and 150,000 shillings per session and private facilities charging sh350,000 to sh550,000. At Hoima, patients with chronic kidney disease will pay about 80,000 shillings per session.

Justus Mugisa, a resident of Hoima city, welcomed the development, saying it will save people the expense and inconvenience of travelling to Kampala.

Hoima Regional Referral Hospital serves a population of about 3.5 million people from nine districts, including Hoima, Buliisa, Kiryandongo, Kakumiro, Kagadi, Kibaale, Masindi, Kikuube, and Hoima city.