Mulago National Referral Hospital, in partnership with the Uganda Heart Institute, has officially launched Uganda’s first-ever Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) service. This milestone marks a significant advancement in the country’s capacity for diagnosing and treating complex heart disease.
The state-of-the-art Cardiac MRI scanner will enable detailed imaging of the heart, offering insights that go beyond conventional tests.
It measures how well the heart is pumping, assesses the size and thickness of heart muscles, and generates precise 3D images of the heart’s chambers. Importantly, the scan reveals subtle tissue abnormalities—such as scarring from a previous heart attack—that may be missed by routine diagnostic tools.
“This new service will save Ugandans from the very high costs currently incurred abroad for advanced cardiac testing,” said hospital management.
Previously, patients often needed to travel to Kenya, India, or South Africa for similar scans, with individual costs ranging from around Shs 7,200,000 - 21,600,000 (USD 2,000–6,000) — excluding travel and accommodation.
By offering Cardiac MRI locally, Mulago and the Uganda Heart Institute aim to dramatically reduce foreign referrals, accelerate diagnosis, and improve access to life-saving cardiac care for Ugandans.