Lubaga hospital cuts surgery costs by 50% during medical camp

Over 1,400 patients are set to receive highly subsidised surgical services at Uganda Martyrs Hospital Lubaga, during the week-long surgical camp.

This community-focused initiative aims at improving access to affordable surgical care while reinforcing the faith-based hospital’s mission of compassion and service to the underprivileged. The camp comes in alongside the hospital’s annual health assembly, and it’s targeting patients with conditions that require minor to intermediate surgical interventions, typically those that require less than three days of admission.

These include hernia repairs, prostate surgeries, fibroid removals, orthopaedic corrections, and other general procedures. According to Dr Julius Luyimbazi, executive director of Lubaga hospital, over 100 patients have so far been cleared for surgery, with 85 already paying the heavily subsidised fees.

“We have seen over 1,400 clients walk in from across the country,” said Luyimbazi. “Many have carried surgical burdens for years. We have slashed costs by up to 50% with some procedures like hernia surgeries going for as low as Shs 100,000.”

The surgical camp is part of the hospital’s broader strategy to bridge the affordability gap in healthcare, particularly for surgical services, which remain financially out of reach for many Ugandans. For example, a surgery that would typically cost Shs 7 million is now being offered at just Shs 2 million under this initiative.

Some personal testimonies from patients who had long sought treatment unsuccessfully due to financial constraints were shared, including one boy, who needed a complex vein correction surgery and had been referred to India, will now receive treatment in Kampala, thanks to the camp.

Another patient, a woman living with a large goitre for over 15 years, will also receive life-changing surgery this week, completely free of charge. The hospital’s annual health assembly, is a platform dedicated to transparency, community engagement, and performance review. Hospital stakeholders, staff, board members, partners, and patients gathered to reflect on the year’s challenges and achievements.

“We are a 125-year-old hospital, but we still have to be accountable,” said Prof Patrick Kyamanywa, chairperson of the hospital’s board.

“This day is about listening to the voices of our staff and patients, learning their pains and hopes, and recommitting to our shared vision of service,” Kyamanywa emphasized that the event was also an opportunity to solicit ideas from both internal and external stakeholders on how to continue improving service delivery.

“We invited you here not just to witness our work, but to question it, and contribute to its improvement.” He also highlighted the establishment of a Shs 200 million Poor Patients Fund, set up to support individuals unable to afford even the subsidised fees. The fund operates through a needs-based assessment conducted by the hospital’s community liaison office.

Dr Grace Nanyondo, the hospital’s medical director, presented an overview of the hospital’s clinical and operational progress. Lubaga hospital, which has a bed capacity of 330, conducted over 51,000 surgeries in the last financial year, and served 167,000 patients at the outpatient level.

Among the recent milestones is the completion of a state-of-the-art Specialist Centre Complex, which was named after the late Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga. The enhanced research collaborations on global studies, such as the impact of COVID-19 vaccines and birth defects, and the opening of two new satellite units aimed at decentralising care delivery.

“Lubaga hospital is not only growing in numbers but in capability,” said Dr Nanyondo. “From neurosurgeries to orthopaedic interventions, we continue to expand our services so Ugandans don’t have to travel abroad for specialised care.”

She reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being through continuous outreach, subsidised treatment programs, and community-based healthcare services.

According to the hospital’s management, the surgical camp will now become an annual fixture aimed at giving underserved communities a chance at receiving safe, affordable, and timely surgical care. Daily operations are scheduled to include 15 general surgeries and 10 gynaecological procedures, with hopes of reaching 80 per cent of the patients already screened.

“This is not just about surgeries,” said Luyimbazi. “It’s about dignity. It’s about giving people who have lived with pain, isolation, or financial fear a new chance.”