Mbarara Cancer Centre Loan Approved to Ease Mulago Burden

Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Hon. Charles Ayume, has advocated for a proposed Shs139 billion loan from the French government to construct and equip a new regional oncology center in Mbarara. This facility is part of a broader government strategy to establish four regional cancer centers across Uganda, with the primary goal of reducing the overwhelming patient load at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Kampala.

Ayume explained that the decentralization of cancer services is crucial to reduce the significant financial burden on patients and their caretakers, who often have to travel long distances to Kampala for treatment. The Mbarara center is planned to initially offer essential services such as cancer screening, chemotherapy, and surgery, which are vital for early detection and preventing avoidable deaths.

Beyond serving Ugandans, the Mbarara center is also envisioned to boost medical tourism within the East African Community and the wider African continent, leveraging the existing success of the UCI in attracting international patients. While the center will prioritize Ugandan citizens, it will embrace Pan-Africanism by welcoming patients from neighboring countries.

UCI Executive Director, Dr. Jackson Orem, clarified that while the Mbarara center will focus on foundational services, more advanced treatments like radiotherapy will initially remain concentrated at the Kampala facility due to funding limitations. Mbarara University of Science and Technology has committed 8.5 acres of land and is finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding with UCI for the project. The university also confirmed readiness to support specialized medical training and operations at the new center.

Concerns were raised by the Committee on Health regarding the provision of the government’s Shs16 billion counterpart funding, emphasizing its importance for project continuity. Additionally, calls were made for a dedicated fund to subsidize expensive cancer medications and for research into potential herbal cancer remedies.