Staff at Kagadi District General Hospital are counting heavy losses after a fire ravaged the hospital’s staff quarters on Saturday morning, destroying property worth millions of shillings and displacing several health workers.
The blaze, which broke out around 11:30 a.m., struck while most of the affected workers were on duty attending to patients.
Though no fatalities were reported, the fire left a trail of destruction, gutting personal belongings and leaving families stranded. Several locals who rushed to assist in rescue efforts sustained minor injuries as they tried to salvage property from the flames.
According to Peter Simon Tumusiime, the hospital administrator, the exact cause of the fire has not yet been established, though preliminary investigations are ongoing.
Tumusiime noted that the tragedy has once again exposed the dire state of hospital infrastructure, particularly the aging and substandard housing for health workers.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the nurses lost their belongings, whose value is yet to be established,” said Tumusiime.
“The affected quarters were constructed in 1968, and this incident underscores the urgent need for government intervention to renovate and upgrade hospital infrastructure.”
Among those affected was Edger Kwikiriza, a health practitioner at the hospital, who was attending to patients when he received a distress call from his family. His children, who were inside the quarters at the time, escaped unhurt.
“I thank God my children are safe. I also appreciate the quick response from residents who helped save some of our property,” Kwikiriza said. “But this tragedy reveals the urgent need to improve our living conditions. These quarters are too old and unsafe.”
Eyewitnesses said the fire was first spotted on the roof of one of the staff houses before it rapidly spread to adjoining rooms. In the absence of an immediate fire brigade response, residents used water and improvised methods to contain the flames.
Denis Turyagiira, a resident of nearby Kiiraba, said he heard alarms and rushed to help.
“By the time I arrived, the building was already engulfed. We did everything we could to stop the fire from spreading to the other quarters,” he said.
Gerald Namanya, a boda boda rider stationed at the hospital, criticized the delayed arrival of the fire brigade.
“Two years ago, another hospital block caught fire, and the same thing happened. The fire brigade came late—again. It’s frustrating,” he said.
His concerns were echoed by Moses Musinguzi, another resident, who decried the limited emergency response capacity in the Albertine region.
“In the whole region, we only have one fire brigade unit. One team cannot handle emergencies across such a wide area,” he noted.
Kagadi District Police Commander, Kenneth Ampurira, cautioned staff against returning to the affected quarters until an official fire brigade report is issued. He also called on the Ministry of Water and Environment to ensure that proper water points are installed in all government institutions to enhance fire preparedness.
Meanwhile, local political mobilizer Yasin Mugabi, of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), sharply criticized authorities over the delayed response.
This is not the first time Kagadi General Hospital has been affected by fire. A similar incident occurred two years ago, again sparking concerns about the hospital’s infrastructure, inadequate fire safety measures, and poor disaster response capacity in the region.
As investigations continue, affected health workers remain displaced, with no immediate alternative