Residents of Mukono District are set to benefit from improved access to emergency and surgical healthcare following the commissioning of a modern surgical theatre and a new ambulance at Katoogo Health Centre III.
The new facilities were officially launched by district leaders as part of efforts to strengthen health service delivery at lower level health units and reduce preventable deaths linked to delayed referrals and lack of emergency care.
For years, Katoogo Health Centre III, located in Nama Sub-county has been serving a large catchment population without the capacity to conduct surgical procedures. Patients requiring operations including mothers with delivery complications and accident victims were routinely referred to distant facilities such as Mukono General Hospital and Kawolo Hospital often at great cost and risk.
The newly commissioned surgical theatre is expected to significantly change that reality by enabling the health centre to carry out minor and emergency surgical procedures closer to the community. Health officials say this will reduce congestion at referral hospitals and improve survival outcomes especially in time sensitive cases.
The addition of a fully equipped ambulance is also expected to strengthen emergency response and referral systems within the district. Previously, the health centre relied on hired or improvised transport leading to dangerous delays for critically ill patients.
District leaders said the upgrades align with government efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure and bring essential services closer to communities. The project was implemented with support from the Ministry of Health as part of broader investments in maternal health and emergency care.
Health workers at the facility welcomed the developments noting that the theatre and ambulance will not only improve service delivery but also boost staff morale and community confidence in the public health system.
Mukono District authorities have pledged to ensure the facility is adequately staffed and supplied so that the new infrastructure translates into real improvements in patient care. They also urged community members to make timely use of the services as part of efforts to reduce avoidable complications and deaths.