Buganda gets sh200m mobile lab to boost rural health

________________ Thousands of residents in underserved communities are expected to benefit from faster and more accessible diagnostic services after Buganda Kingdom received a sh200 million mobile medical laboratory designed to conduct on-site testing during medical outreach programmes. For many residents in remote parts of Buganda, a simple blood test can mean travelling long distances and waiting days for results, allowing treatable diseases to worsen. That could soon change. The fully equipped mobile medical laboratory, donated by the Indo-Africa Charitable Society, was officially handed over on July 31, 2026, during a ceremony attended by Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga, India's High Commissioner to Uganda Anantha S.R. Iyer, government officials, development partners, religious leaders and health professionals. Unlike conventional outreach programmes that focus mainly on treatment, the mobile laboratory will enable healthcare teams to conduct blood tests and other diagnostic procedures on-site during medical camps, allowing patients to receive results and referrals without travelling long distances. Speaking after receiving the donation, Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga said the facility will strengthen the kingdom's efforts to improve people's health by extending services to communities that are often left behind. "Our vision is to place the people of the kingdom at the centre of social and economic development, but that is not realisable if people are not in good health," he said.