Lira regional referral hospital gets a satellite laboratory

4 October 2024, 1:42 pm

Byamukama Alozious

Akello Rose who preferred anonymity is one of the patients at who has been bedridden at Lira referral Hospital despite facing delays to get diagnosis and other tests, sleeps in the tent and there a few available spaces where patients can rest. In order to defeat the challenges, Lira regional referral hospital has made strides in enhancing healthcare services with the near-completion of a state-of-the-art satellite laboratory, courtesy of the Uganda COVID-19 Response and Emergency Preparedness Project (UCREPP).

According to the technical consultant Oubuntu, The laboratory, already is at 96.6% complete, will revolutionize diagnosis and sample collection, reducing reliance on Kampala-based labs and easing congestion.

According to Doreen Nshabahurira, UCREPP Communications Officer, “This satellite laboratory will greatly improve diagnostic services, reducing turnaround times and enhancing patient care and crowd”

Lira regional referral hospital principal administrator, Okello Peter, highlighted the hospital’s critical role in serving nine districts in the Lango region. “We receive over 400 patients daily, but our current infrastructure struggles to cope. Patients often lay on floors, and we’ve had to improvise with tents due to overcrowding,” Okello said.

The hospital’s outdated wards, some dating back to 1928, urgently need replacement. Okello emphasized, “We urgently need a new ward complex to provide dignified care to our patients.”

The satellite laboratory will alleviate some pressure by enhancing diagnostic capabilities, reducing sample transportation to Kampala, and streamlining patient care.

Okello expressed gratitude for UCREPP’s support and looked forward to continued collaboration to address the hospital’s infrastructure challenges.

With the satellite laboratory nearing completion, Lira Regional Referral Hospital is poised to provide improved healthcare services to the Lango region.