Aga Khan to build university hospital in Kampala, Uganda
Aga Khan University Hospital Vice Chancellor, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, on April 27, 2023 showing the construction site of the medical group's newly launched teaching hospital at Nakawa, Kampala in Uganda. PHOTO | COURTESY
Uganda’s healthcare system is poised to receive a major boost for emergency and chronic illnesses that could reduce medical tourism and the draining of resources associated with it after the launch of the Aga Khan teaching hospital in the capital.
A report by Uganda’s Auditor-General a few years ago indicated that the government had spent about Ush10.08 billion ($2.9m) on the treatment of about 140 senior government officials abroad, most of them receiving treatment for heart and kidney conditions, cancer and diabetes in hospitals located in Kenya, South Africa, India and China, while in many instances, Ugandans have been fundraising for treatment of their relatives and friends abroad, bringing the total health bill abroad for both public and private individuals to Ush25 billion ($6.7m).
