Poor roads cripple emergency care in Lango sub-region

9 September 2026, 9:21 am

By Felix Omara

The poor condition of roads has emerged as one of the major burdens to safe emergency health services in the Lango sub-region, as health workers and local leaders say some mothers in labor, accident victims, and critically ill patients die without reaching care.

Lango sub-region faces severe infrastructure challenges, holding one of the lowest tarmac road coverages in Uganda at roughly 5%.

The concern dominated the third Lango Regional Health Assembly hosted at Gracious Palace Hotel in Lira City, where district health officers, representatives from the Ministry of Health, partners, and community leaders from the ten districts in Lango, including Lira City, convened to discuss interventions for equitable health services in the region.

Presenting the regional emergency health report, the Senior Executive Consultant at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Dr. Andrew Odur, says there are many delays caused by impassable road networks within the sub-region that have made timely referrals from Health Center IIIs and IVs to Lira Regional Referral Hospital nearly impossible in several hard-to-reach areas.

Dr. Odur said that besides ambulances being available and ready, the condition of the roads keeps delaying the entire referral process.

The testimony captured what many health workers described as a daily reality, saying a journey that should take 40 minutes to the referral hospital can take three hours.

Ambrose Agec, the LC5 Chairperson of Apac District, expressed frustration that recent prioritization lists from the Ministry of Works and Transport omit vital regional routes like Lira–Abim, Apac–Amolatar–Namasale, and Aduku–Ogur–Awiodyek–Aromo, among others.

Addressing the assembly, Dr. Charles Akiya Oyo, Commissioner for Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health, called for immediate intervention from the Ministry of Works to ensure Lango has safe and motorable roads, though he noted the challenge exists across the entire country.

He said road safety and emergency services are critical elements that need urgent attention, adding that a good road is the first doctor before anyone reaches a health facility.

Patrick Ogwang Obura, Chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group, acknowledged government efforts in developing the health sector; however, he pointed out staff absenteeism, drug theft, and the maintenance of ambulances, especially the issue of fueling, as major setbacks that need to be addressed.