Ailing Kasangati Health Centre IV Faces Needs 'Medical Attention'

What the report says

Kasangati Town Council leaders are urging the Ugandan government to step in at Kasangati Health Centre IV after a visit revealed overcrowding, weak sanitation, worn infrastructure and a serious shortage of health workers. The inspection was led by Kasangati Town Council Mayor Hajji Baker Kaziibwe and other local officials, according to Nile Post.

The facility, which serves Kasangati and nearby communities including areas toward Kayunga, is described as an important public health centre and the only one in the area with a theatre for surgical procedures. Local officials said the centre is too small for the number of patients seeking care, and staff members reported that the lack of a land title has made it harder to attract partners willing to support expansion.

Nile Post reported concerns over maternity services as well, including only three delivery beds, poor-condition mattresses, damaged toilets and reports of bedbugs. The article also said some patients waited so long for attention that a few fainted, prompting leaders to help some people reach treatment. Officials said the theatre needs renovation, the ambulance arrangement is inadequate, and the centre has about 40 health workers against a stated need of roughly 130.

The leaders called on the Health Ministry and Parliament to prioritize renovation, staffing and equipment, while also securing the land title. More broadly, the case reflects the persistent strain on many public health facilities in Uganda, especially where patient numbers have outgrown available space and staffing.