Legislators from the West Nile sub-region have asked the Ministry of Health (MoH) to allocate funds in the national budget to support surgical camps organized by the Association of Surgeons of Uganda (ASOU).
The call was made by Dr. Charles Ayume, Member of Parliament for Koboko Municipality,during a press briefing held at Parliament on 21st August,2025, ahead of the West Nile Surgical Camp scheduled for 20th–27th September, 2025, across 13 districts in the region.
Ayume urged government to make the funding a recurrent expenditure, ensuring that ASOU does not have to rely on fundraising each year.
“Government should consider making funding for these surgical camps a recurrent budget item so that every year, whichever sub-region hosts the camp, the association does not struggle with fundraising,” Dr. Ayume said. “This way, we can steadily reduce the backlog of patients, especially since West Nile alone has many people suffering from cataracts, fractures, and other conditions.”
The camp, running under the theme “Increasing access to quality surgical care and reducing the burden of surgical disease,” will cover Pakwach, Nebbi, Zombo, Madi-Okollo, Terego, Koboko, Maracha, Yumbe, Obongi, Moyo, Adjumani, Arua District and Arua City. Services will extend to local primary and secondary schools as well.
The medical services to be offered include general and pediatric surgery, brain and spine operations, eye care, ENT treatment, breast and cervical cancer screening, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and orthopedic procedures.
The camp will also provide limb prosthesis reconstruction, plastic and reconstructive surgery, oral and maxillary care, safe male circumcision, school-based hearing and vision screening, tuberculosis testing, and blood donation drives.
The ASOU President, Prof. Moses Galukande, and Christine Nalumu the General Secretary, revealed that each surgery costs an average of UGX 480,000.
They noted that the funds raised are used to cover transport, feeding, accommodation, and critical medical supplies for the medical teams. Over 10,000 patients are expected to benefit from the camp across the 13 districts.
The West Nile Surgical Camp represents an important opportunity to bring essential medical services closer to communities that often face limited access to specialized care.
With government support and continued community engagement, the initiative has the potential to significantly reduce the surgical backlog in the region, improve overall health outcomes, and ensure that more patients receive timely, life-changing treatments.
