Kagando Hospital - History

History

The hospital was established in 1965, by the African Inland Missionaries. In the beginning, it treated primarily patients afflicted with leprosy. Today, the specialty wards at the hospital include the following:

• Pediatric Ward
• Male Medical Ward
• Female Medical Ward
• Male Surgical Ward
• Female Surgical Ward
• Maternity Ward
• Leprosy Ward
• Tuberculosis Ward

In response to the needs of the community, the hospital established outreach programs, including the following:

• Kagando School of Nursing and Midwifery was established in 1965 to respond to the shortage of nurses and midwives in the community. Today, student capacity of nearly 250 students
• There was a severe outbreak of cholera in 1978, following which, a community-based healthcare project was established, which is involved in malaria control, water supply and sanitation.
• A Functional Adult Literacy Program
• Due to increasing malnutrition in the community, particularly among children, an agricultural extension program was started in 1981. Today, those activities consist of an Agriculture Extension Program, including a KARUDEC Farm on the 35 acres (14 ha) campus
• A Microfinance program
• A kindergarten and elementary school with nearly 700 pupils
• A chaplaincy at the centre of all the programmes. The Kagando Chaplainncy is under the South Rwenzori Diocese of the Church of Uganda
• In 1986 Kagando Hospital (250 beds), and its outreach activities rebranded as Kagando Rural Development Center (KARUDEC), an NGO.

The community in KARUDEC's service area is intimately involved in the NGO's activities. The people in the community are generally poor, with limited means and often with limited formal education. Despite the odds, KARUDEC is slowly making a positive impact.