Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is recovering in a multispecialty hospital in Gurgaon, India after undergoing a successful neck surgery.

He took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday (May 3) and shared some photos of him seated on a chair in his hospital room with a cannula tube for a drip still inserted in his right arm and a small bandage on the left wrist.

He was, however, wearing a smile.

“After a successful neck surgery in India, I'm grateful for a new lease on life! Thanks to neurosurgeons, health experts, family, friends, and supporters from Uganda and beyond,” the 52-year-old opposition politician said.

“I have learned so much and will be an uncertified paramedic and counselor in neurology and orthopaedics!” he added.

Last month, the Uganda Medical Board approved Lukwago’s travel to India’s capital New Delhi for anterior cervical decompression and fusion spinal surgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute.

On his medical journey to New Delhi on April 25, Lukwago told his followers on X that it was upon referral by several neurosurgeons and other physicians to have a specialised anterior cervical disc and fusion surgery to remove the herniated that had bothered him for over two months with excruciating pain and tingling in the back and upper left limb.

Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director General of Medical Services, in a letter to Dr Rishabh Kedia and Paul Verinder Singh, consultant neurosurgeons at Medanta Mediclinic Cybercity, New Delhi, in India dated April 16, 2024, noted that Lukwago had been cleared to travel with one attendant, his brother and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) had committed to meet the costs related to the travel, treatment and stay while in India.

“This is to introduce to you, His Worship Erias Lukwago, a 54-year-old male and Lord Mayor of Kampala who was diagnosed with cervical spine, C6-7, disc prolapse with C6 left foraminal stenosis and acute radiculopathy over two months ago. He has been undergoing conservative pain management with minimal improvement.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) done revealed C6-7 reduced disc height with normal disc signal, asymmetrical left-sided disc bulge with a spinal canal diameter of 11.46mm, cervical spondylotic changes with degenerations of L2-L3 intervertebral discs,” Mwebesa said.

Mwebesa further informed the hospital that Dr Norbert Orwoth an orthopaedic and spine surgeon at Mulago National Referral had been referred to the facility for anterior cervical decompression due to limited in-country operative capacity at the moment.

“He will travel with one attendant, his brother, and KCCA has committed to meet the costs related to his travel, treatment and stay in India,” Mwebesa added.

He also noted that “the Uganda Medical Board, has approved his travel to India for this anterior cervical decompression and fusion spinal surgery,” said his letter copied to the Minister of Health as well as the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health.

Lukwago was rushed to Kenya in March this year in severe pain to undergo specialised treatment and was subsequently admitted to Nairobi Hospital.