Kagando Hospital

Located in the picturesque Kagando Village, in the Kasese District of Western Uganda, Kagando Hospital is a shining example of the transformative power of community-led healthcare. Established in 1965 by the African Inland Missionaries, the hospital started as a leprosy treatment centre, but has since grown to become a 250-bed rural community hospital, owned and administered by Kagando Rural Development Center (KARUDEC), a Christian missionary NGO.

Kagando Hospital serves as a lifeline for the people of the surrounding area, providing essential medical care to those who might otherwise go without. With an average of 20,000 annual outpatient visits and 18,000 annual inpatient admissions, the hospital is staffed by a dedicated team of professionals, including 2 surgeons, 2 physicians, one anesthesiologist, one physiotherapist and a number of nurses and midwives.

One of the standout features of Kagando Hospital is its commitment to community engagement. Every morning, doctors, nurses, nursing students and medical students gather in the KARUDEC Chapel for a service in which the hospital patients and local issues are prayed for. This emphasis on spirituality and connection with the community is a hallmark of Kagando Hospital’s ethos, and it is one of the reasons why the hospital is a favorite choice for medical students in the Ugandan medical schools and foreign medical students who may volunteer to spend their elective at Kagando.

In addition to its medical services, Kagando Hospital is involved in a range of community outreach programs, including the Kagando School of Nursing and Midwifery, which was established in 1965 to respond to the shortage of nurses and midwives in the community. Today, the student capacity of the school is nearly 250 students. There is also an agricultural extension program, a microfinance program, a kindergarten and elementary school, and a functional adult literacy program. The hospital’s outreach activities are rebranded as Kagando Rural Development Center (KARUDEC), an NGO, which is intimately involved in the lives of the people in the surrounding community.

Kagando Hospital is also committed to advancing healthcare technology in Africa. In April 2018, the hospital joined the list of hospitals in Africa that have adopted Stre@mline Health for management of its hospital processes. The system will help the hospital improve its operations and provide better quality care for patients.

Overall, Kagando Hospital is a beacon of hope in rural Uganda. Its commitment to community-led healthcare and innovative use of technology make it a model for other healthcare institutions in the region.