Mukono gets modern lab

Sep 29, 2010

The Ministry of Health has commissioned a laboratory in Mukono district worth $200,000 (about sh400m). The project was funded by the US government through the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

By Jeff Lule

The Ministry of Health has commissioned a laboratory in Mukono district worth $200,000 (about sh400m). The project was funded by the US government through the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The laboratory was constructed at the Mukono Health Centre IV and is expected to serve about 50,000 people.

The project is aimed at increasing the availability of health services, including voluntary counselling and testing, tuberculosis screening and diagnosis of common opportunistic infections.

However, the health centre boss, Dr. Robert Kasirye, said the laboratory still lacks vital equipment which they cannot afford. The missing equipment includes blood counting machine, CD4 counting machine, heamatology machine, micro-biology (culture and sensitivity), blood transfusion facility and a centrifuge machine.

The district health officer, Dr. Elly Tumushabe, said only 16 out of the 42 health centres in the district offer laboratory services. He also decried the shortage of laboratory staff.

Health ministry permanent secretary Dr. Asuman Lukwago said they will ensure that the laboratory is well equipped.

The acting CDC director, Dr. Sundeep Gupta, said the centre was established to increase the availability of emergency obstetric care, HIV testing, assessment for entry to anti-retroviral therapy programmes and regular monitoring of persons on therapy.

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