Government Moves to Upgrade Regional Hospitals and Curb Medical Tourism

In a major strategic shift, the Ugandan government is revamping the national healthcare infrastructure to enable local medical teams to handle complex treatments domestically. The initiative aims to ease the financial burden of expensive overseas medical referrals and rebuild public confidence in the local health sector.

Under the proposed framework, current national referral hospitals will be elevated to super-specialized centers, and regional facilities will be promoted to national status. Furthermore, lower-level health facilities are slated for expansion, transforming Health Centre IVs into community hospitals with five doctors, while Health Centre IIIs will accommodate three doctors. Authorities are also evaluating a policy to restrict government doctors from working in private clinics to improve public service delivery.

Speaking at Hotel Africana during the inaugural professorial lecture for Director General of Health Services Prof. Charles Olaro, ICT and National Guidance Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi revealed that President Museveni has directed the ministry to prepare a Cabinet white paper on these structural reforms.

Addressing concerns about the long-delayed Lubowa Specialized Hospital, Dr. Baryomunsi confirmed that construction has progressed to 70 percent completion, with the facility on track to open by the end of the year. Recruitment and headhunting for specialized medical personnel are already underway.

During the event, which celebrated Prof. Olaro’s new role as Professor of Practice in Health Services Management at Clarke International University, discussions emphasized the need for resilient leadership. Prof. Olaro stressed that strong governance and a dedicated leadership academy are vital to ensuring sustainable healthcare delivery and smooth institutional transitions.

Read more about these developments in the Daily Monitor.