Uganda: Tororo Hospital seeks referral status as Members of Parliament flag hygiene gaps

Health workers at Tororo General Hospital have asked Parliament to advocate for the facility’s elevation to a regional referral hospital, citing its infrastructure, equipment, staffing and available space for expansion. The appeal was made by the hospital’s Senior Nursing Officer, Stella Agembi, during an oversight visit by Parliament’s Committee on Health on Wednesday, 09 September 2026. Agembi said the hospital was well positioned for the upgrade because it serves an immediate catchment population of about 63,000 people, in addition to patients from five neighbouring districts and Kenya. “The population we serve comes from most parts of Bukedi sub-region and other districts bringing the catchment area to over one million people. People continuously demand for services we are not able to provide as a general hospital and have to travel a long distance for specialised services,” said Agembi. She noted that the hospital has adequate land for expansion of over 10 acres, adding that a regional referral status would improve their capacity to offer the services on high demand. “The regional referral status comes with improvements in the staffing structure, equipment, and even better inf