Mulago National Referral Hospital is poised to take a giant leap in healthcare provision with the upcoming launch of liver transplant services in April 2025.
The hospital’s Executive Director, Dr. Rosemary Byanyima, announced the plans while presenting the hospital’s 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper to Parliament’s Health Committee.
Dr. Byanyima explained that Mulago has been collaborating with Indian medical experts for organ transplants, but is now partnering with a new team from Manchester Hospital in the UK, facilitated through Health Education England.
“This team will work with us in April and May 2025 to perform liver transplants, marking a significant milestone for Mulago and the country at large,” she said.
However, Dr. Byanyima raised concerns about funding challenges that could hinder the success of these initiatives.
The hospital requires Shs101Bn to fully stock critical medicines and supplies necessary for organ transplants, but currently receives only Shs18.256Bn.
“If all funds aren’t availed, we will continue issuing prescriptions for patients to purchase their own medicines while reserving bedside drugs for critically ill patients,” she cautioned.
Meanwhile, Dr. Evelyn Nabunya, Executive Director of Mulago Specialized Women & Neonatal Hospital, provided an update on the facility’s fertility services, including the launch of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
“As of now, we have conducted 11 stimulations and six embryo transfers. Two women are pregnant, five embryos are being preserved for future transfers, and although two clinical pregnancies were lost, we are optimistic about the success of these treatments,” Dr. Nabunya noted.
Dr. Nabunya emphasized that IVF services signify progress in offering Ugandans access to affordable fertility treatments locally, reducing the need to seek care abroad.
Mulago has also achieved remarkable success in neonatal care, handling 858 neonates between July and December 2024, with 32.9% being preterm.
The smallest surviving baby was born at 24 weeks, weighing just 500 grams, and is now a healthy two-and-a-half-year-old.
“This baby is now a healthy two-and-a-half-year-old, thanks to the team’s vigilance in monitoring conditions like retinopathy of prematurity, which can lead to blindness if not detected early,” Dr. Nabunya explained.
Key survival rates reported included:
– Babies under 1kg: 59.1 percent
– Babies between 1-1.4kg: 79.4 percent
– Babies between 1.5-2.4kg: 87.3 percent
Dr. Nabunya pointed out that survival rates for normal-weight babies are comparatively lower because they often arrive at Mulago in critical conditions from other facilities.
“Our achievements underscore our commitment to saving lives, but they also highlight the need for more resources to improve outcomes further,” Dr. Nabunya added.
Both directors urged Parliament’s Health Committee to prioritize budgetary support for the hospital’s ambitious plans, stressing that adequate funding is essential for successful implementation.
