By Catherine Ageno
The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) has embarked on an aggressive campaign to promote Uganda as a destination choice for medical tourism, not only within the East African region but with eyes on the entire global market.
During a recent engagement with media practitioners at Queen Elizabeth National Park in Rubirizi District, UTB Chief Executive Officer Ms. Lilly Ajarova revealed that this is one of the strategies to diversify Uganda’s tourism products as part of the wider global campaign for promoting Uganda as a destination brand.
This, she said, will not only boost economic development for Uganda as a destination country, but also further improve health care quality.
“Under promotions and marketing, we are looking at launching targeted marketing campaigns both domestically and internationally to show case Uganda’s unique attractions and services and participate in international tourism fairs and exhibitions”, Ms Ajarova said.
She said they were also working on marketing Uganda as a one-stop tourism destination for a wide range of offers including education and medical tourism.
“We are doing a baseline survey on medical tourism and we know some practitioners who have already positioned themselves and are getting international tourists to Uganda. Pan Dental Surgery, is one of them.
She said that according to their records, for the months of July and August 2024, 90 percent of their clients are from the United Kingdom. “This is because the facilities are similar to what they would get in the UK and for a fraction of the cost. So they would rather fly to Uganda where they are even able to get an appointment within a shorter time”, she explained.
She added that UTB is now profiling these facilities to further highlight their unique services to Africa and the entire world. “One of Uganda’s Unique Selling Prepositions is the fact that it is strategically located and linked in the heart of Africa, which makes travel within the continent easier”, Ms Ajarova added.
In an interview with KFM, Uganda Medical Association
(UMA) president Dr. Herbert Luswata has welcomed the efforts by UTB and agrees that there are a few institutions which are suitable for this project but more needs to be done to ensure they are well equipped and staffed to match international standards.
He says it true Uganda has been receiving a growing number of patients from countries like Rwanda, Kenya and South Sudan among others for specialised medical services at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) and the Children’s Specialised Hospitals in Mbale and Entebbe but there is still room for improvement.
“For us we would just encourage the government to improve other facilities. We forinstance have the Mulago Women’s Specialised Hospital which is supposed to offer specialised services but it still lacks critical equipment and is understaffed. Look at Mulago Specilised Hospital, it still grapples with simillar challenges, its current status does not suit its new name. These inadequacies should be addressed to attract more medical tourists”, he said.
UMA in February 2024 expressed concern over the number of senior government officials seeking medical care abroad, arguing that reducing approvals for such travels would significantly improve Uganda’s health system.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Mr. Emmanuel Ainebyoona has told KFM in a telephone interview, that this is a move in the right direction and the government is committed to ensuring that there’s sufficient infrastructure to offer the specialised services on a wider scale.
“Ours is to ensure that there is good infrastructure to offer good services for example the Heart Institute to be constructed in Naguru and many other projects like the multi-billion Shilling Lubowa Specialised Hospital project and that’s also why Mulago Hospital was renovated”, he said.
Currently the specilised hospitals in Uganda (both public and private)include; Mulago National Specialised Hospital, Mulago Women’s Specialised Referal Hospital, Uganda Heart Institute, Uganda Cancer Institute, and Cure Children’s Hospital. Located in Maluku, Mbale District, it is a specialised children’s neurosurgery hospital and teaching center in pediatric neurosurgery for Sub-Saharan Africa. The other is Entebbe Specialised Children’s Surgical Hospital located in Wakiso district, a one-hour drive from Kampala.
UTB officials say health challenges vary from country to country but some that cut across include lack of skills & funds and poor infrastructure and Uganda is no exception. However, through the growing technological advancement in health care services, the country is slowly but steadily joining the long list of medical tourism destinations.
