Agnes Kiconco

KIU, Main Campus - The Emergency's Children's Surgical Hospital in Entebbe, Uganda has this week begun conducting clinical activities and surgeries after the completion of the construction process that began in February 2017.

Dr. Diana Atwine the Uganda Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary said the hospital will serve as a referral center for Ugandan patients as well as children from all over Africa in need of surgery. In addition to this, the hospital will provide free treatment to patients under the age of 18 in General Surgery, Gynaecological surgery, and other areas of critical health care. 

"This will save Uganda and Ugandans a lot of money spent on medical referrals abroad on complicated pediatric surgeries. The teaching hospital will also boost capacity of our medical workforce in management of specialized pediatric health conditions," she said.

In preparation for intense clinical activities, the hospital will have a 24/7 open Emergency Department and according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health, the hospital has tripled the number of surgical beds to accommodate more patients flying in from other countries around the continent.

“The Entebbe hospital has tripled the number of surgical beds for children in Uganda and will become a referral point for surgery from patients across the continent. It is the second facility in the African Network of Medical Excellence (ANME), after EMERGENCY’s Salam Center for Cardiac Surgery built in Khartoum Sudan in 2007,” the statement reads in part.

The hospital will prioritize high standards of paediatric surgery so as to reduce the rate of child mortality.

Currently, Uganda faces considerable challenges in the provision of paediatric surgery and care for children and young people and with the establishment of the child's emergency surgical hospital, the rate of immortality and premature death is expected to drop in Uganda and the neighbouring countries.

Picture credit: EMERGENCY