The proprietors of the Nairobi-based Aga Khan Hospital, long regarded as a premier treatment destination for Ugandan politicians and high-profile patients, are set to bring world-class healthcare closer to home with the construction of a 101-bed capacity teaching hospital in Kampala.
The state-of-the-art facility, slated for completion within three years, is expected not only to reduce Uganda’s dependency on medical tourism but also to create opportunities for medical specialists who have left the country in search of better prospects abroad.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony to be officiated by President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday, Diana Sewanyana, the Business Development Manager at Aga Khan Hospital, revealed that Ugandan doctors currently practising in South Africa, Kenya, and Indonesia are already reaching out with interest in returning once the facility opens.
Located in Nakawa on land donated by the Government of Uganda, the hospital is part of a joint investment by the Aga Khan and the Government of Germany. An outpatient specialist centre is already in place, offering services such as cancer care, radiotherapy, dialysis for kidney failure, and other tertiary-level interventions.
The planned in-patient facility will initially focus on treating complex Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with later phases expanding into super-specialised care. “For instance,” Sewanyana explained, “our second phase will include procedures like bone marrow transplants, services that will no longer be the preserve of only the wealthy but accessible to the common Ugandan.”
The facility is envisioned to operate on a larger scale than its Nairobi counterpart, and is already attracting patients from beyond East Africa, including Ethiopia and Malawi.
As part of the broader expansion, Dr Joseph Mwizerwa, the Associate Vice Provost for Aga Khan University in Uganda, disclosed that the institution will also roll out medical programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
“We already have our Nursing School, but now we are creating opportunities for training doctors in specialised care. This will not only boost the number of skilled practitioners but also enhance research and innovation in managing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Charles Tusiime, Registrar of the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council, noted that the country currently has 11,213 registered practitioners, with only 7,214 actively licensed.
Although precise figures on medical migration are lacking, the Ministry of Health’s 2023/2024 Annual Health Sector Report indicates that, on average, 150 doctors leave Uganda annually, seeking further studies or greener pastures abroad.