By Mulengera Reporters
Over 100 patients in Uganda awaiting kidney transplants remain stranded due to the government’s failure to allocate UGX 7.2 billion required to operationalize the Organ Transplant Council.
Dr. Charles Ayume, MP for Koboko Municipality, raised the issue in a written query to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja during yesterday’s parliamentary plenary. He questioned the government’s delay in operationalizing the Council, which is mandated to oversee organ transplant activities in Uganda.
Ayume noted that despite the passage of the Uganda Organ Donation and Transplant Act, 2023, and the development of transplant capabilities at Mulago Hospital for kidney transplants and Rubaga Hospital for liver transplants, patients cannot access these life-saving services.
“There is currently a backlog of over 100 patients who need kidney transplant services. The only limitation is the appointment and operationalization of the Organ Transplant Council. When will the government constitute and operationalize the Council to save lives and reduce medical tourism, especially for those who cannot afford to travel abroad for transplants?” Ayume asked.
Responding to Ayume’s concerns, Prime Minister Nabbanja acknowledged the delay, stating that the establishment of the Council requires UGX 7.297 billion. She revealed that the Ministry of Health requested UGX 5 billion for the current financial year and added that seven members have already been identified for appointment once funds are released by the Ministry of Finance.
Nabbanja outlined that the Uganda Human Organ Donation and Transplant Act, 2022, signed into law on 15th March 2023, mandates the creation of a seven-member Council to regulate and oversee all organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplant activities in Uganda. The Council’s responsibilities will include:
- Regulating transplant centers and approved organ banks.
- Enforcing standards set by the Ministry of Health.
- Investigating complaints regarding breaches of the Act.
- Inspecting transplant centers to ensure quality care and follow-up for patients.
The delay in establishing the Council has disrupted transplant services. In April 2024, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng informed Parliament’s Health Committee that all human organ transplant activities had been halted due to the government’s failure to release UGX 5 billion. Of this, UGX 3.6 billion was earmarked for training and benchmarking, while UGX 1.4 billion was intended for the Council’s operations.
The lack of funding continues to endanger the lives of Ugandans who urgently need transplant services, forcing those who can afford it to seek treatment abroad while leaving the most vulnerable without options. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
