A Senior Four student of Patongo Seed School has died after an ambulance transporting her to Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital in Kalongo overturned in Agago District.
Akidi Janet Apat died at about 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the hospital, where she had been referred from Patongo Health Centre IV for specialised medical care.
Richard Okello, a teacher at Patongo Seed School, said Apat had fallen ill shortly before the start of her Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations, which were scheduled to begin on Monday.
She was taken to Patongo Health Centre IV for treatment, but medical personnel reportedly determined that her condition was too serious for her to sit the examinations. She was subsequently referred to Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital on Monday morning.
However, the ambulance carrying her overturned at Olung Trading Centre in Lokole Sub-county as the patient was being transported to Kalongo.
According to Okello, the driver reportedly lost control while attempting to avoid a motorcycle rider. Apat sustained a head injury in the crash, further complicating her already critical condition. She later died at the hospital.
Madeline Akidi, the school’s matron, who accompanied the student alongside two other attendants, was also injured in the accident. She remains admitted at Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital.
Agago District Health Officer Dr Kimton Opiyo confirmed the incident, identifying the ambulance as registration number LG0069003, attached to Patongo Health Centre IV.
Opiyo said the vehicle was being driven by Celestine Labeja Ojok, with nurse Richard Opio Okidi among the health workers accompanying the patient.
He said the nurse sustained serious injuries, while the driver initially appeared to be in stable condition but later developed complications, including breathing difficulties.
The two health workers were scheduled to be transferred to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital for further medical assessment, including CT scans, to establish the extent of their injuries and determine appropriate treatment.
Opiyo said investigations were ongoing to establish whether Apat’s death was caused by the illness for which she was being treated or injuries sustained in the ambulance crash.
Beyond the loss of life, the accident has renewed concerns about the capacity of Agago District to provide emergency medical transportation, leaving the district with only one ambulance operationally available out of its two vehicles.
Opiyo said the district has more than 43 health facilities serving communities spread across a vast geographical area, making ambulances critical for transferring patients who require specialised treatment.
He added that health facilities already face challenges in referring patients to higher-level hospitals, partly because of staffing shortages.
At Patongo Health Centre IV, for instance, the available staff include only one medical officer, one theatre assistant and one anaesthetic assistant, according to Opiyo.
He warned that the loss of an ambulance would place further strain on emergency medical services, potentially delaying the transfer of critically ill patients from remote communities to referral hospitals.
The ambulance involved in the accident was donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
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