History
Kagando Hospital was started in 1965 by Africa Inland Missionary Dr. Carl Baker, having been forced out of Eastern Zaire (current DRC) by the Simba rebellion of 1964. From its humble beginnings as a leprosarium housed in asbestos bus like huts, Kagando has grown to a current 250 bed hospital referral hospital.The relationship of Kagando and other partners is as old as the hospital itself. In 1965, Kagando was training Nurse Aides with a syllabus devised by Mengo Hospital and UPMB. In the post-Idi Amin era under the leadership of Dr. Rob Morris as Medical Superintendent, Kagando Hospital was fully integrated under the Church of Uganda.
KARUDEC
Kagando Hospital in 1984 evolved into Kagando Rural Development Center (KARUDEC) in response to development needs of the community. KARUDEC, which is a development arm of South Rwenzori Diocese, now consists of the following sectors:- A 250-bed hospital
- A community development programme which is involved in water and sanitation, and malaria control
- Functional Adult Literacy
- Agriculture
- Microfinance
- A Primary School with nursery of 622 pupils
- The School of Nursing and Midwifery with a student capacity of 234
- A chaplaincy at the centre of all the programmes.
Mission
Our mission is To demonstrate and promote Christian love through holistic care and development of the rural population of Kasese District.
Vision
And our vision is To be a model in community transformation and Christian care for the rural population of Kasese DistrictKagando Hospital
The 250 bed hospital includes pediatric, male and female medical and surgical wards and maternity, leprosy and tuberculosis units. The hospital compound is 35 acres and includes the hospital, a nursing and midwifery school, a chapel, a nursery and primary school for the children of the staff and the adjacent neighborhood, staff housing, and the beginnings of a demonstration farm.School of Nursing and Midwifery
The School of Nursing and Midwifery has a capacity of 180 students. The school trains enrolled comprehensive nurses, enrolled midwives, and registered nurses. The school is one of the best nursing and midwifery schools in the country with a consistently high performance rate of over 98% for the past five years.Chaplaincy
The chaplaincy is the pivotal program at KARUDEC, around which all the other programs revolve and draw their inspiration. The chaplaincy undertakes evangelism and has expanded to schools beyond Kagando. Visits to schools and prison, a blossoming Alpha ministry, and a program of devotions have all become new, important facets of the chaplaincy's outreach. Additionally, the chaplain frequently teams up with interfaith community programs for such outreach services as Jaja's Home, offering days of fun and psychosocial support to children dealing with the effects of AIDS in their lives. Training of lay evangelists has been one of the most successful activities of the chaplaincy.Primary School
The Kagando Primary School has an enrollment of 622 pupils -- 359 girls and 263 boys with a committed staff. The school has thrived in academic performance for being the best in the National exams in the whole county of Bukonzo and it is one of the best universal Primary schools in the district. A vocational training wing has also been established to let pupils acquire basic skills in computers, tailoring, brick-laying and carpentry.Rural Electrification Project
KARUDEC has its own production of hydroelectric ppower that is being used for its services in the hospital and at the centre. Due to the Centre development in infrastructure there is a need for expansion of the power supply to meet the centre and community's demand. KARUDEC is now in the process of undertaking feasibility studies for expansion of hydroelectric power to meet this demand. The success of this project means that thousands of people in rural Kasese shall enjoy the benefits of electricity and the development opportunities that come with it.Mothers' Union Care Home
The Mothers' Union Care Home, commissioned in March of 2008 and has already been deemed a success, with pregnant women gathering from across the region to learn about antenatal care and receive the immunizations that will make their unborn children strong. The home, equipped for extended stays, aims to care for expectant mothers, as well as those new mothers who are not yet well enough to make the journey home (such as those who have just undergone caesarean section). Eventually, the home intends to teach life skills as women pass the time preparing to give birth or recovering. By teaching such skills as matweaving, MCH hopes to pass on marketable trades to the mothers of growing families.The Community Development Program
The community development program focuses on access to safe water, microfinance and community-based malaria control. Eight gravity flow schemes provide safe water to over 80 villages and 22,000 households. Malaria control programs in the community have provided drugs for home-based management of fever, mosquito nets, and have trained community workers to provide first line management of malaria services. The microfinance project provides credit to active poor people to enable them start business or finance existing businesses. The project has successfully supported over 400 individuals and groups in the catchment area of three sub-counties (Kisinga, Kyondo and Mukunyu).Demonstration Gardens and Kagando Hospital Farm
KARUDEC has been actively at work of late establishing demonstration gardens throughout the region to teach local farmers about crops that are often more sustainable or lucrative than current crops. Among these innovative new crops is the vanilla currently growing in small plots.Partnerships
The Board, staff, community, partners and Government have been involved in the development of KARUDEC in one way or another. However, we owe our gratitude to the partners who have made greater contributions. The buildings that were commissioned have a total value of Ugsh 551,773,785 and they include:-
The Radiology unit Funded by Friends of Kagando Kagando Eden Guest House Funded by Kagando Hospital & Friends of Kagando Mothercare Home Funded by Friends of Kagando Asingya Kagando hostel Funded by James Knott Foundation, UK Technical School Funded by Aktie Kagando Netherlands St. Luke's Community Hall Funded by Friends of Kagando Kagando Water Project Kagando Mission Foundation, Inc. Kagando Mission Hospital Foundation, Inc. (US) Joseph and Susan Bamford
Challenges
While we offer the care to the rural poor, the resources available are always insufficient. This has left us always in debt, especially for medical supplies and statutory deductions. This is coupled with late salary payment even when our salaries are not yet competitive with government organizations.
The community failure to pay for medical bills is a major challenge to KARUDEC and the health-seeking behaviors of our people are still poor. Some situations would be prevented if the communities took heed of health education. Population growth is a big threat to our services. While we plan for an average of 250 people for one tap, we have ended up with more than double the planned figure.