Lubaga hospital in sh2.2b campaign to procure new CT Scan

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Uganda Martyrs' Hospital Lubaga, has launched a sh2.2b fundraising drive to purchase a new computed tomography (CT) scan machine, as it celebrates 125 years of existence.

A computed tomography scan is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body.

Also known as Lubaga Hospital, the medical facility was founded in 1899 by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa. Owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala, it is reported to be the oldest Catholic hospital in Uganda.

Dr Julius Luyimbaazi, the hospital’s executive director, said they have launched a fundraising drive to replace the current Siemens Emotion 6-Slice CT-Scan, an 8-year old machine procured in 2016.

“We will instead purchase a 64-Slice CT Scan that can meet the present day requirements to produce clearer scans. The current scanner is outdated and can only handle basic tasks. Its cost stands at about sh2.2b,” he said at a press conference held recently.

He said the current CT scan cannot meet the hospitals advanced imaging requirements by specialists, rendering it inadequate.

“The sh2.2b will cover the cost of a new machine, software to operate it and additional software to store over 50 years of patient’s records. That will be in keeping with modern medical practice,” he said.

He said the new scan machine will help them to save lives of patients in need of its services, since the current one is beyond its recommended full operational capacity.

“We urgently need to upgrade this machine to a higher capacity since the number of patients that are referred for imaging tests has increased with about 140 people scanned per month,” he noted.

Dr Luyimbazi announced that the Hospital’s Management will organize a fundraising dinner on October 17th, 2024 at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Kampala to raise funds to purchase a CT-Scan machine.

(L-R) Dr. Julius Luyimbazi, Executive Director, Lubaga Hospital and Erias Lukwago, Kampala City Lord Mayor addressing journalists during the press briefing on the fundraising dinner in support of upgrading the hospital's CT-Scan held at Lubaga Hospital on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (Photo by Colleb Mugume)

Erias Lukwago, the Kampala City Lord Mayor, who was introduced as Lubaga Hospital’s Chief Patient, at the press conference, urged the Government to fund missionary founded hospitals the same way its funding UPE and USE schools.

“It’s high time the Government made an effort to stop the rising incidents of medical tourism to countries like Turkey like India. We can save that money by upgrading our hospitals and training specialists,” he said.

Lubaga Hospital is a private, not-for-profit, community hospital in Kampala, with 264 beds.