First-ever physicians’ camp brings specialist care closer to northern Uganda
Dr Dan Oriba Langoya, the northern Uganda representative of the Association of Physicians of Uganda, said the initiative was conceived as part of the association’s annual work plan to give back to the community and take specialised health services closer to people.
The two-day camp, scheduled for August 21 and 22, 2026, at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, will bring together more than 30 physicians and super-specialists from across the country to supplement existing specialist services in the region. (Credit: Rosemary Anena)
GULU - Patients in Northern Uganda who need specialised medical care sometimes have to travel outside the region to access certain highly specialised services, while the few specialists available in the region are often overwhelmed by the growing number of patients.
The two-day camp, scheduled for August 21 and 22, 2026, at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, will bring together more than 30 physicians and super-specialists from across the country to supplement existing specialist services in the region.
The physicians’ camp, organised by the Association of Physicians of Uganda (APU), will provide additional specialists and a wider range of consultations in one place.
Dr Dan Oriba Langoya, the northern Uganda representative of the Association of Physicians of Uganda, said the initiative was conceived as part of the association’s annual work plan to give back to the community and take specialised health services closer to people.
“At the beginning of the year, when we were drawing our work plan, one of the activities was to have a medical camp to give back to the community as part of our corporate responsibility,” Oriba said.
The specialists will include cardiologists for heart diseases, nephrologists for kidney diseases, gastroenterologists for digestive system and liver-related conditions, neurologists for brain and nervous-system disorders, endocrinologists for diabetes and hormonal disorders, dermatologists for skin diseases, oncologists for cancer, and rheumatologists for autoimmune and joint diseases.
Dr Oriba said the camp would give people in Northern Uganda an opportunity to access these additional specialist services for free without necessarily travelling to Kampala.
“Sometimes our people have to travel up to Uganda Heart Institute or other hospitals like Mulago to see these doctors, so we are bringing them and the services closer to the people of Northern Uganda,” he said.
Dr Oriba added that the camp would help the association understand the burden of non-communicable diseases in the region and generate recommendations that could guide the Ministry of Health in developing sustainable interventions.
“What is still killing us in the 21st century is diabetes, hypertension and what we call non-communicable diseases,” he said.
The physicians’ camp marks a milestone for the Association of Physicians of Uganda because it is the first camp of its kind organised by the association.
“This is the very first camp of its kind for the Association of Physicians of Uganda in Uganda,” Dr Oriba said.
Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has two physicians deployed at the facility, according to Dr Paska Apiyo, a consultant in internal medicine.
She said the specialists are overwhelmed by the growing number of patients who need their services.
Dr Apiyo added that the camp would provide holistic and integrated care, allowing patients to access consultations, investigations and other services without unnecessary referrals.
She revealed that Gulu Regional Referral Hospital’s laboratory and radiology departments would support the camp by allowing them to be used for the exercise.
“Patients requiring ultrasound scans, cardiac echocardiograms, ECGs or X-rays will be able to access the relevant services where necessary,” said Dr Apiyo.
Growing health burden of NCDs
The camp comes at a time when health workers in northern Uganda are raising concern over the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
St Mary’s Hospital Lacor’s outpatient department receives more than 250 patients daily, with the number sometimes reaching 500.
According to Dr Oriba, hypertension and diabetes contribute to about 25% of the hospital’s outpatient department attendance.
At Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Apiyo said the pattern of disease and death is also changing.
“The leading cause of death and morbidity has changed from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases,” she said.
She said cardiovascular diseases are increasingly contributing to deaths, while other conditions, including liver and cervical cancers, are also being reported.
Dr Apiyo disclosed that the growing number of patients with hypertension and diabetes is particularly concerning because poorly controlled conditions can lead to serious complications, including kidney failure.