Patients at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda can now access CT scan services locally as the hospital successfully repaired its machine after a breakdown in October.
The CT scan, installed by the Ministry of Health in May, experienced issues due to a power surge, affecting the motherboard.
The hospital’s management, with support from the supplier Health Med, replaced the damaged parts, allowing the CT scan to be fully operational.
Other equipment, including an ultrasound machine, also underwent repairs.
The hospital director, Dr James Elima, confirmed that the machine is still under a three-year service contract and was fixed at no cost.
The CT scan machine, the first of its kind at the facility, plays a crucial role in identifying diseases or injuries within the body, detecting tumors, heart disease, abnormalities, and locating injuries such as blood clots.
Patients seeking these services at the hospital were temporarily redirected to private providers or public facilities in Mbarara and Kampala during the suspension of CT scan services.
Despite the positive development, concerns were raised about the cost of CT scan services.
Patients have to pay between Shs120,000 and Shs200,000 for different types of scans, and some health workers were accused of overcharging.
The chairperson of Masaka Hospital Patients Association, Mr Swaibu Makumbi Sulambaaya, commended the hospital’s effort in restoring the CT scan services but called for measures to prevent overcharging.
Masaka hospital serves a significant population, with an average daily contact of about 2,000 patients, and the CT scan is a crucial diagnostic tool for various medical conditions.
The hospital’s management, relieved by the successful repair, is optimistic about the effective operation of the machine.