A new Shs500 million sickle cell clinic and training centre has been commissioned at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital (KRRH), boosting access to specialised treatment for thousands of patients across six districts in central Uganda.
The facility, named the Shifa Sickle Cell Clinic and Training Centre, was funded by the Islamic Centre for Education and Research (ICFER) and will serve patients from Kayunga, Luweero, Buvuma, Nakasongola, Buikwe and Mukono districts.
Speaking during the commissioning on Tuesday, the Muslim titular head in Uganda, Prince Kassim Nakibinge, praised ICFER for supporting healthcare services and urged Ugandans to embrace sickle cell screening and testing.
He also called on the government to increase funding to the health sector and reconsider its decision regarding medical interns.
“The government should revisit its recent decision not to pay intern doctors because this is going to constrain efforts in the health sector,” Prince Nakibinge said.
He argued that Uganda’s doctor-to-patient ratio remains a major challenge and warned that failure to adequately support health workers could undermine service delivery.
Responding to concerns about persistent blood shortages for sickle cell patients, Prince Nakibinge appealed to ICFER and its partners from the United Arab Emirates to support the construction of a blood bank at KRRH to ensure a steady supply for health facilities across the six beneficiary districts.
Dr Sophia Nakitto, a paediatrician at KRRH, said delayed diagnosis of sickle cell disease often leads to severe complications, including kidney failure.
She said the hospital has intensified screening and testing programmes at lower health facilities across the region to improve early detection.
“Currently, we have 2,734 sickle cell warriors under our care receiving treatment,” Dr Nakitto said.
ICFER Chief Executive Officer Yusuf Jjemba said the organisation decided to establish the facility after witnessing the challenges health workers faced while providing services at the hospital.
“Sickle cell disease affects families in many ways and contributes to irregular school attendance among children living with the condition,” he said.
The Director General of Health Services, Dr Charles Olaro, described sickle cell disease as one of Uganda’s most significant inherited health conditions.
“Sickle cell remains one of Uganda’s most significant inherited health conditions, with thousands of children born with the disease every year and many families facing challenges in accessing timely diagnosis, treatment, counselling and long-term care,” Dr Olaro said.
He said the Ministry of Health has expanded newborn and infant screening programmes, strengthened laboratory diagnostic capacity, increased access to essential medicines and integrated sickle cell services into lower-level health facilities.
According to Dr Olaro, the dedicated clinic and children’s ward will provide a more conducive environment for specialised treatment, patient monitoring and long-term support.
Kayunga District Chairperson Andrew Muwonge used the occasion to renew calls for the installation of a CT scan machine at KRRH, saying patients continue to be referred unnecessarily to Mulago National Referral Hospital for specialised imaging services.
“If by December government has not bought a CT scan for this hospital, I will organise a marathon so that people can raise funds for it,” Mr Muwonge said.
The event was attended by health officials, religious leaders, parents of sickle cell patients and survivors living with the disease.