Soroti hospital gets Shs670m lab

Patients seeking health services at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital now have a reason to smile following the establishment of a regional herb centre for laboratory services at the facility.

The Shs672 million laboratory commissioned last Thursday was funded by the US government under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

It is expected to accelerate case research and epidemic control in the region.

The Ministry of Health through Soroti hospital management offered the outpatients department facility for rehabilitation and phase lift to give room for expansion to cater for the different laboratory departments.

Dr Susan Nabadda, the commissioner of laboratory services at the ministry, said the facility will offer free laboratory services to its clients.

“Soroti hospital has been operating but the lab was not commensurate to support clinical activities,” he said.

Initially, the hospital patients could be referred to access lab services from outside clinics, which are usually expensive.

The Soroti Resident City Commissioner, Mr Peter Pex Paak, warned that with the laboratory facility in place, they will not hesitate to arrest health workers over extortion.

Dr Charles Olaro, the director of clinical and curative services, who represented the Health ministry permanent secretary during the commissioning, said the laboratory is expected to provide timely, accurate and reliable results.  He said this will help the health workers to ensure proper and timely case management.

“We want to thank the US and the Ugandan government for accepting to come together to provide quality laboratory services. Since we have better facilities and the government has improved our salaries, let us deliver. It is now our responsibility to prove beyond doubt and avoid embarrassments,” Dr Olaro said.

Dr Arthur Fitzmaurice, the senior health scientist at CDC, said Soroti hospital laboratory is part of their programmes and supported projects to the Ugandan government aimed at improving laboratory quality management systems, human resource, technical capacities and laboratory herb infrastructures that began in 2009.

USA Support

Dr Arthur Fitzmaurice, the senior health scientist at CDC, said Soroti hospital laboratory is part of their programmes and supported projects to the Ugandan government aimed at improving laboratory quality management systems, human resource, technical capacities and laboratory herb infrastructures that began in 2009.

“This laboratory will provide adequate space for general laboratory work, meeting requirements for bio safety, containment of hazardous materials and proper safe waste management,” he said.