Soroti hospital receives Shs 21.7bln medical equipment from JICA
SOROTI CITY, December 7, 2025 — The Japanese International Cooperation Agency [JICA] has donated an assortment of medical equipment valued at US$ 6.2 million [approximately Shs 21.7 billion] to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital [SRRH].
Since September, the hospital has been receiving shipments of vital medical equipment, including diagnostic and surgical tools, aimed at upgrading patient care services.
Among the items received are an endoscope machine, slit lamp, visual analyser, auto-fill machine, operating microscope, monitoring equipment, ultrasound machines, delivery beds, incubators and warmers. These additions, shipped in from September to date, are expected to significantly enhance patient care.
The Hospital Director, Dr. Benedicto Watmon, thanked JICA for the timely donation, noting that some of the equipment is entirely new to the hospital, while other items serve as long-needed replacements.
Watmon reported improved patient outcomes, citing faster diagnosis, quicker prescriptions and reduced referrals, all contributing to better overall healthcare delivery.
However, he also highlighted ongoing challenges, including infrastructure constraints and a limited operational budget of Shs 11 billion, and appealed for increased government funding.
“Today, the agreement has yielded the expected output. JICA has fulfilled its part of the MOU, the equipment has been installed, users have been trained, and it is now operational,” he said.
He added that specialists had drawn up the equipment lists and were ready to make full use of the new machines. Watmon noted a potential shortage of highly specialised personnel, though this gap is not severe in some departments.
Speaking to theCooperator, Inoue Yoichi, the Chief Representative of the JICA Uganda Office, expressed hope that the donated equipment would make a substantial contribution to Uganda’s healthcare sector.
“We have been working hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health for over 20 years to strengthen hospital management and upgrade regional referral hospitals in the country,” Yoichi said.
He revealed that a total of 98 sets of equipment, in varying quantities, had been donated, with 95 already delivered and three still pending.
Jacqueline Amongi, Senior Optimal Clinical Officer, reported that her department handles 45–50 outpatients daily and conducts 20–50 inpatient surgeries a week.
She said glaucoma remains the leading cause of blindness in the country, stressing that it is an irreversible blinding disease. Amongi advised the public to undergo routine eye examinations to prevent avoidable complications.
Dr. David Ongodia, Associate Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon, said he attends to 45–50 patients daily. He and his colleagues pledged to deliver improved services following the equipment upgrade.
“With the new equipment, we commit to providing better care for our patients,” Ongodia said.
SRRH has a bed capacity of 278 and a workforce of 283, in addition to 16 contracted staff under a United States programme. The hospital treats approximately 600–700 outpatients and 300 inpatients daily across its various wards.
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