Govt supports surgical camps with medical supplies worth sh700m
The camps will run from September 12 to 19, 2026, across 10 Central Region districts: Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, Buvuma, Kayunga, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Kiboga, Luweero and Kyankwanzi.
Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health flagging off the surgeons at the Ministry Headquarters. (Photos by Jovita Mirembe)
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For Ronald Kizza, 40, a resident of Buvuma Islands, access to free surgical care could finally provide relief from a condition he has lived with for a decade.
Kizza said he was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia in 2016 and was advised to undergo surgery at a cost of sh500,000, an amount he could not afford.
He said he was relieved to learn that a free surgical camp would be held in his home district and hoped to be among the patients who receive treatment.
Kizza is among thousands of patients expected to benefit from the surgical camps, which are being supported by the government with medical supplies worth sh700m, according to the President of the Association of Surgeons of Uganda (ASOU), Dr Edward Kakungulu.
Kakungulu said the supplies, provided by the Ministry of Health through National Medical Stores, will be used during the operations. They include surgical gowns, antibiotics, anaesthetic medicines, medical gases, disinfectants, gloves, cotton, gauze and linen.
The support comes as ASOU prepares to provide free surgical services to more than 3,000 patients across the Central Region, with the aim of reducing the backlog of people awaiting surgery.
According to Kakungulu, many of the patients have conditions such as burn scars, hernias and cysts that require surgical intervention but are unable to afford treatment or travel to Kampala, where specialised surgical services are more readily available.
Some of the medical supplies
This year's team comprises about 600 health workers, including surgeons, anaesthesiologists, radiologists, laboratory technicians and nurses.
The camps will run from September 12 to 19, 2026, across 10 Central Region districts: Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, Buvuma, Kayunga, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Kiboga, Luweero and Kyankwanzi.
Kakungulu said 52 health facilities, including government, private and not-for-profit facilities, had been selected to host the services.
While the medical teams prepare to begin the procedures, the Ministry of Health has also called for greater support from local leaders to facilitate the camps.
Speaking during the flag-off of the surgical team at the Ministry of Health headquarters, Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine said the ministry appreciates the surgeons' contribution, particularly because many surgical procedures remain unaffordable for patients.
“When we went to Western Uganda, West Nile and the Lango sub-region, the leadership was supportive. They provided our doctors and surgeons with accommodation, food and other necessary support,” Atwine said.
She said similar support had not been provided in some of the areas hosting the current camps.
Atwine said support from local leaders would help reduce the logistical burden on the ministry and allow more resources to be directed towards medical supplies for the camps.
She added that the ministry would engage leaders involved in the second Buganda surgical camp to seek their support.
Beyond the immediate need for surgical services, the camps also highlight the wider challenge of access to essential surgical care in Uganda.
The Director General of Health Services, Dr Charles Olaro, said surgery and anaesthesia are essential components of universal health coverage.
“You cannot achieve universal health care without them,” Olaro said.
He said a significant proportion of preventable deaths could be addressed through timely access to surgical care, adding that Uganda continues to face a high demand for surgical services.