Atomic Energy Council clears Masaka Hospital to use CT scan, X-ray

The Atomic Energy Council-Uganda (AEC-Uganda) has cleared Masaka Regional Referral Hospital to utilise its newly acquired computerized axial tomography scan (CT scan) and X-ray machines. The CT scan machine was acquired from the government, while the X-ray machine was donated by the Korean Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).

However, both pieces of equipment have been lying idle since last year awaiting clearance from AEC-Uganda.

AEC-Uganda is a government body mandated to regulate the peaceful application of ionizing radiation, and the protection and safety of radioactive sources.

According to Ms Lydia Khalayi, the senior corporate communication officer at AEC, their team of experts inspected the equipment and found them fit for use.

‘’Our team inspected their machines and found them safe. We have since processed licenses permitting them to use them,” she said in an interview on Thursday.

According to medical experts, radiation can cause burns, hair loss, and even death in extreme cases, depending on the dose and quantity.

Mr Charles Tumushime, the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital Administrator, said both machines would soon be operational.

''We could have started using them by now, but there are only a few issues we are working on, but soon they will be available,'' he said.

This is the first CT scan at Masaka Hospital since the facility opened in 1929.

CT scan machines identify disease or injury in various regions of the body. It is also used to detect tumors or lesions within the abdomen, identify heart disease or abnormalities, and locate injuries, pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) leading to stroke, hemorrhage, excess fluids, and other conditions such as emphysema or pneumonia.

Records at Masaka Hospital indicate that the facility receives more than 80 patients daily that require X-ray services. The old X-ray was no longer fit for use.

Mr Swaibu Makumbi Sulambaya, the chairperson of Masaka Hospital Patients Association, welcomed the resumption of X-ray services and acquisition of a CT scan machine at the facility but cautioned some staff who charge money from patients who come for such services.

“The new equipment we have was provided by the government and donors. We don’t expect staff to demand money from patients as if they are running private clinics as I have done before. Those who extort money from patients will be taken to the police," he said.

Masaka Hospital serves eight districts – Masaka, Rakai, Lyantonde, Lwengo, Ssembabule, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, and Kalangala, taking care of more than two million people.

Being on a highway makes it the first point of call for patients, mainly accident victims from Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. Consequently, the hospital’s average daily contact with patients is about 2,000.