Children’s Surgical Hospital Claimed

Entebbe Children’s Surgical Hospital (ECSH); is a specialized children’s pediatric surgery hospital located in the village of Banga, Entebbe, Uganda. The hospital, which is owned and administered by Emergency, an international non-governmental organization, serves children with surgical disabilities regardless of their ethnic background, religious affiliation, or ability to pay.

The hospital was designed by Renzo Piano and built in association with TAM Associates. According to the Kampala Post, the construction of the hospital cost USh117 billion (approx. €29 million) in 2021. The hospital sits on 30 acres of land, donated by the UPDF Special Forces Command.

Since opening its doors on April 19, 2021, ECSH has had a bed capacity of 72 patients. The hospital expects to hire 36 expatriate medical staff and 143 Ugandan medical staff at full capacity. Additionally, 196 (95 percent) of the non-medical staff are expected to be Ugandan, while the remaining 10 (5 percent) are expected to be expatriates. When fully operational, the hospital will employ 385 local people.

One of the hospital’s long-term objectives is to train Ugandans, both medical and non-medical. Trained staff will “improve pediatric surgery and medical care in Uganda,” and over time, will train other workers to do the same. This will help improve the overall health care system in Uganda.

ECSH is a testament to the government’s commitment to providing quality health care to its citizens. The Ugandan Ministry of Health participated in the planning of this hospital, and the government donated the land where the hospital was built. Furthermore, the government is expected to fund 20 percent of the hospital’s operational expenses annually.