Agency
Anaka General Hospital in Nwoya district is grappling with a severe shortage of emergency transport, relying on a single functional ambulance to serve a vast catchment area stretching across multiple districts.
Dr. Jolly Joe Lapat, the Hospital Executive Consultant, said the facility has operated with just one ambulance for the past four years, a situation that continues to strain service delivery in emergencies and referrals.
According to him, the hospital is the first responder to nearly all emergencies, including road traffic accidents along the busy Karuma-Pakwach highway in Nwoya district, extending up to Pakwach and Nebbi districts.
The current ambulance, delivered in 2022, has been the hospital’s only operational emergency vehicle, handling all referral and rescue missions within the wide coverage area.
However, Dr. Lapat notes that relying on a single ambulance has frequently limited their response capacity on several occasions.
Anaka General Hospital serves a wider population within Nwoya District and beyond, handling a significant patient load across its departments.
Hospital statistics indicate an estimated 15,000 outpatient visits per quarter, averaging about 5,000 patients per month, the majority of whom are ambulatory patients who walk in for treatment.
The facility also admits approximately 3,000 inpatients and conducts about 1,000 maternal deliveries every quarter. In addition, records show that the hospital performs between 500 to 600 surgical operations in its theatre each quarter.
