NHLDS Recommends Overhaul of Naguru National Referral Hospital Laboratory
9/07/2025: Naguru Referral Hospital.
The National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services (NHLDS), through its commissioner Dr. Susan Nabadda, has recommended an upgrade of the laboratory at Naguru National Referral Hospital also known as China-Uganda Friendship Referral Hospital to meet national laboratory standards.
Dr. Nabadda made the remarks during a joint assessment visit conducted by NHLDS and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The assessment revealed that Naguru is currently the only national hospital laboratory that has not yet received accreditation.
“Naguru is isolated, it is the only National referral hospital that is not accredited, but we want to ensure that within a few months, the laboratory begins the accreditation process to raise its standards. In fact, if the identified gaps are addressed, it will be able to meet the standards of a trauma and emergency centre,” Dr. Nabadda stated.
Among the Key Gaps Identified during the assessment include;
Inadequate human resources to support laboratory services
Limited physical space
Worn-out furniture unsuitable for modern lab equipment
Need to expand equipment and diversify the scope of testing menu
Hospital Director Dr. Irene Naiga welcomed the recommendations, emphasizing their importance to the hospital’s mandate of delivering quality healthcare to Ugandans.
“The hospital has been designated as a trauma and emergency response center, which requires our laboratory services to be certified. With accreditation, we can effectively support the KCCA region we serve and provide the necessary technical assistance. But we cannot do this while we are still limping,” Dr. Naiga explained.
The assessment team also recommended merging some of the hospital’s laboratories as part of a broader strategy for service integration and structural optimization.
NHLDS committed to supporting the hospital’s transition by offering training, procuring additional laboratory equipment, ensuring a robust quality management system, and strengthening biosafety and biosecurity measures among others.
