President Yoweri Museveni is expected to commission a new multibillion, Specialised Referral Hospital in Lubowa, along Entebbe Road, about 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) from Kampala.
The hospital was constructed by the government of Uganda in collaboration with Finasi, an Italian Investment Company headed by Ms. Enrica Panetti.
It is aimed at saving the billions of money that are spent by both the government and Individuals; travelling abroad for specialized treatment and to ease pressure at Uganda’s Referral hospitals especially Mulago.
The 2007/08 Annual Health Sector Performance Report revealed that Uganda had only 46% of the required doctors.
As a result, by 2012, the rate at which Ugandans were going overseas for medical treatment had skyrocketed.
Top Government officials, the business class, the clergy and many individuals had totally lost trust in Uganda’s healthcare infrastructure, opting instead to go to India, South Africa, Dubai, Rwanda, Turkey among other countries for operations and other special treatment.
Instead of spending large sums of money in foreign countries, government observed, establishment of such specialized hospital facilities in the country would cut unnecessary costs which amount close to USD186 million annually.
The hospital has been furnished with specialized medical equipment to handle complicated health issues ranging from human organs transplantation, neuro and heart surgery and cancer treatment, among others.
According to Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, complicated diseases which attack vital body organs like liver, the heart, brain or kidney are most common among the middle income people.
“Therefore, all classes of people are going to be handled in this hospital, the project will save us a lot of money spent on treatment abroad,” she said.
“Reproductive conditions like Infertility among women are going to be handled in Uganda, and we shall send our own nurses and doctors abroad for refresher courses,” she added.
In the face of brain drain of medical workers, the facility will also play a major role in attracting skilled medical personnel for employment without them seeking alternative jobs abroad.
The facility is set to be commissioned on Thursday 1st June 2017.