S.4 student dies as ambulance overturns in Agago

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1054 EAT on Wednesday 14 October 2026

A Senior Four student of Patongo Seed School has died after an ambulance carrying her to a referral hospital overturned in Agago District.

Akidi Janet Apat died on Tuesday at Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital in Kalongo, where she had been referred from Patongo Health Centre IV for specialised medical care.

Richard Okello, a teacher at Patongo Seed School, said Apat fell ill shortly before the start of her Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations, which began on Monday.

She was initially taken to Patongo Health Centre IV for treatment. However, after assessing her condition, medical personnel determined that she was too ill to sit the examinations and referred her to Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital on Monday morning.

According to Okello, the ambulance overturned at Olung Trading Centre in Lokole Sub-county as the driver reportedly swerved to avoid an oncoming motorcyclist. Apat sustained a head injury in the crash and later died at the hospital.

Madeline Akidi, the school matron, who was accompanying the student alongside two other attendants, was also injured and remains admitted at Dr Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital.

Agago District Health Officer Dr Kimton Opiyo confirmed the accident, identifying the ambulance as registration number LG0069003, attached to Patongo Health Centre IV.

The ambulance was being driven by Celestine Labeja Ojok, while nurse Richard Opio Okidi was part of the medical team accompanying the patient.

Opiyo said the nurse sustained serious injuries, while the driver, who initially appeared to be in stable condition, later developed complications, including difficulty breathing.

The two health workers were scheduled to be transferred to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital for further assessment, including CT scans to determine the extent of their injuries and guide treatment.

Opiyo said Agago has more than 43 health facilities serving communities spread across a vast geographical area, making ambulance services essential for transferring patients requiring specialised medical care.

He added that the district already faces challenges referring patients to higher-level health facilities because of staffing shortages at health centres, including Patongo Health Centre IV.

According to Opiyo, the facility has only one medical officer, one theatre assistant and one anaesthetic assistant.

He warned that losing an ambulance would place additional pressure on the district’s emergency medical services and complicate the transfer of critically ill patients from remote communities to referral hospitals.

The ambulance involved in the crash was donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

-Observer

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