Gulu CT scan machine breaks down months after launch

A recently commissioned computerised tomography (CT) scan machine at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Gulu City has broken down.

On Friday, this newspaper visited the hospital and found that the machine broke down about two weeks ago and patients were being referred elsewhere.

Mr Walter Uryek, the hospital principal administrator, said a team of engineers from the Ministry of Health has examined it and discovered that its batteries are jammed and its conductors broken.

“The CT scan machine has been down for over two weeks but our engineering teams are working on that and plans are underway to fix it back to operation,” Mr Uryek said.

Whereas patients would pay between Shs15,000 and Shs120,000 to access the service at the hospital, the breakdown now means they have to seek expensive alternatives within the city which cost about Shs400,000.

The machine is one of the 14 that the government procured and installed in all the regional hospitals across the country in 2022.

Operational month
In mid-June 2023, the CT scan became operational after the hospital secured the services of a qualified radiologist through a partnership with Gulu University.

In a telephone interview, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, confirmed the breakdown of the machine.

“Our engineers from the Ministry of Health have been informed about the breakdown of the machine and the ministry is working towards rectifying the fault in the machine.”  

A CT scan machine is used to identify a disease or injury within various regions of the body.

It is also used to detect tumours or lesions within the abdomen, identify heart disease or abnormalities, and locate injuries, blood clots leading to stroke, excess fluids and other conditions such as pneumonia.

Last week, the management of the Gulu regional cancer treatment centre said whereas their CT scan machine is now operational, it will only be limited to work on cancer-related conditions.