On June 5th 2019, Nakasero Hospital celebrated its 10th Year Anniversary at the Serena Hotel in Kampala. The colorful event attracted the health industry’s key players including Ruhakana Rugunda, the Prime Minister and Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health.
Nakasero Hospital organized this celebration to give back and show appreciation to its community which includes, clients, staff, shareholders, the government, pharmaceuticals and health care partners.
In his speech, the Prime Minister and guest of honor, shared, “As you know, we’ve been sending many people abroad for medical treatment. Nakasero Hospital has without a doubt, reduced the number of referrals to other countries.
In addition, Nakasero Hospital has been receiving some international patients. My colleagues and I, came here to express solidarity with Nakasero Hospital. And also to congratulate Nakasero Hospital for being attractive enough to bring high quality investors in the health sector of Uganda.â€
He added, that “it’s painful to see people who require medical care having problems to acquire that medical care, either because they cannot afford it, or because there is no readily available medical professional who can provide that service.
I think in the ten years of Nakasero, the hospital has really made a big contribution to the medical care of the people of Uganda.â€
Compounding on Rugunda’s speech, Aceng,
the Minister of Health, added: “On behalf of the Ministry of Health, I want to
appreciate the good work that you
(Nakasero Hospital) have been doing, giving services to the community to
complement the government and also ensuring that we receive quality services.â€
The minister of health shared that she has also benefited from the services rendered at Nakasero Hospital. “I will not lie, I have also been a beneficiary of services there. I have had a number of consultations, even with the chair himself.â€
For his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and co-founder, Dr. Ben Mbonye shared his appreciation to everyone who was part of the journey.
“It has not been easy. The hospital business is a different is different because there is an element of human life which surpasses profitability. We thank our partners, stakeholders and our patients for believing in us.
I want to thank President Museveni for personally ordering the finance ministry to exempt the health sector from some taxes (on construction materials) which gave it ground for growth,†he offered.
Dr. Edward Rukwaro, the CEO of Nakasero Hospital shared his gratitude as well, “Ten years is quite a milestone. It’s not an easy thing for a hospital, starting from scratch to grow to the satisfaction of its community and shareholders within ten years.
“So we want to thank our community for the support they’ve given us throughout this journey. It has been an exciting journey. Like any journey, there’s been ups and downs, but I think, by and large, we can say we’ve had positive engagement and a positive outcome for all stakeholders involved.
“We appreciate all our clients, partners, insurance companies, suppliers, and our dedicated staff. Next, I want to thank our management team, the founders and Board of Directors, whose relentless pursuit of excellence has made ours one of the best hospitals on this beloved continent.
“Regardless of the giant strides that we have made over the last ten years, I know that the best is yet to come. I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you.â€
Moving forward, Nakasero Hospital is planning a massive expansion effort in its goal to bring world-class services closer to Ugandans. The expansion is centered on two broad areas – The first area is the “Consultants and Specialists†whereby the goal is to augment specialist service provision.
The second area is the “Key Clinical Areas of Focus†which include Cardiology, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Orthopedics, and Maternal and Child Health.†Lastly, the hospital plans to house these services in a brand new space that’s adjacent to the main hospital.