By Fidel Boy Leon
In a push to alleviate the staggering nationwide backlog of surgical patients, legislators from the West Nile sub-region have launched a compelling appeal to the Ministry of Health. Led by Dr. Charles Ayume, MP for Koboko Municipality, said the group is urging the government to allocate annual budgetary support to surgical camps organised by the Association of Surgeons of Uganda (ASU).
The appeal was fronted by Dr. Charles Ayume, MP for Koboko Municipality, during a press briefing in Parliament on August 20, 2025, ahead of the West Nile Surgical Camp, scheduled for September 20–27, 2025, across the sub-region’s 13 districts.
“I urge the government to include these camps as a recurrent expenditure in the national budget. “This would ensure ASU doesn’t have to fundraise annually, enabling us to consistently reduce the backlog of cases such as cataracts and fractures, particularly in underserved regions like the West Nile,” Dr. Ayume said.
Prof. Moses Galukande, ASU President and Professor of Surgery at Makerere University, announced that the upcoming camp aims to perform 2,500 free surgeries across 23 sites. Planned procedures include brain surgery, orthopaedics, paediatric operations, and cataract removal.
More than 10,000 patients will be screened, with selected candidates receiving treatment at no cost.
This effort is one of Africa’s largest surgical camps that followed a similar initiative in the Ankole sub-region in 2024.
“As an association, we are committed to improving access to safe surgical care, which remains limited in Uganda. “We focus on vulnerable populations, selecting a region each year, setting up camp for a week, and offering free surgeries,” said Prof. Galukande explained.
Each procedure costs about UGX 480,000, covering transportation, meals, accommodation, and medical supplies for the medical teams. While patients pay nothing, ASU depends heavily on fundraising.
After surgery, a follow-up team remains in the region for 30 days to monitor patients and manage the 2% complication rate.
Dr. Ayume emphasised the affordability and convenience of the initiative, saying,
“The UGX 480,000 cost per surgery is minimal compared to what patients spend travelling to Kampala for treatment. For many in the West Nile, accessing Mulago Hospital means high transport costs and long waiting times. “This camp brings Uganda’s top surgeons directly to the region—akin to pro bono work in the legal profession.”
George Bokha, MP for Obongi County and President of the West Nile Parliamentary Caucus, praised ASU’s choice to host the camp in West Nile, a region with a population of four million, including nearly one million refugees from South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“West Nile faces a triple health burden: infectious diseases, lifestyle-related conditions, and frequent outbreaks. “This camp, which only comes around once every 15 years, is a rare opportunity to bring specialised care closer to our people,” Bokha noted.
The West Nile Surgical Camp, themed “Increasing Access to Quality Surgical Care and Reducing the Burden of Surgical Disease,” will mobilise 10,000 specialists and 650 volunteer health workers to conduct 2,500 free surgeries across multiple disciplines, alongside screening 6,000 schoolchildren for eye, dental, hearing, and musculoskeletal issues, 1,000 adults for cancers such as breast, prostate, and cervical, and providing safe male circumcision.
The surgeries will cover general procedures such as hernias and masses, neurosurgery involving brain and spine operations, ENT and eye care including cataracts and goitres, breast and endocrine surgery, endoscopies and hepato-pancreatic biliary surgery, orthopaedics and oro-maxillofacial surgery, as well as plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Ayume urged health officials in the West Nile to compile patient lists ahead of the camp to ensure maximum benefit for those in need. The initiative will serve the districts of Pakwach, Nebbi, Zombo, Madi-Okollo, Terego, Koboko, Maracha, Yumbe, Obongi, Moyo, Adjumani, Arua, and Arua City.