Children’s Surgical Hospital has officially unveiled a new Laparoscopy care service, the first for children in Uganda, to improve the outcome of surgery for more children by reducing the length of stay in the hospital and the physical trauma for children because there is no need of a big cut.
This milestone of the introduction of pediatric laparoscopic surgery at the Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe is a private donation by an Italian family who decided to support the hospital. The donor gave the money to buy laparoscopy but staff and training are already part of EMERGENCY’S project and offers to its staff.
During the inauguration event on Tuesday 26th November, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Uganda remarked that this new initiative will make surgery much better in terms of outcomes and hospital stay for the children and therefore deeply appreciated the hospital together with the family that contributed generously for the equipment to be in the country at the children’s surgical hospital.
“We are deeply grateful because, in the entire country, this is the only facility that is offering such services. We are also hopeful that shortly, our regional referrals can also offer such services so that we avoid referring every child to this surgical hospital,” she said.
Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng also noted that the institution is a source of hope for the country’s children and stands as a model of healthcare excellence across Africa because, in just over three years, it has conducted over 10,000 first visits and performed more than 4,800 surgeries.
“In Uganda, nearly half of our population is under the age of 15. Despite our best efforts, many children-especially those in rural areas, still face challenges accessing timely and specialized surgical care. It is estimated that 85% of children requiring surgery live far from facilities like this. However, there is a need for expansion, and we still have space; I know this can be easily possible,” the Health Minister highlighted.
In addition, she remarked that the introduction of laparoscopic surgery represents a transformative leap forward in paediatric healthcare because Laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgical technique, enhances precision, significantly reduces pain, shortens recovery time, and lowers infection risks for our young patients, and therefore lauds Rossella Miccio, the President of EMERGENCY and the entire EMERGENCY family for the generosity that has made this innovation possible.
“Your contribution is a significant investment in the lives of countless children and their families. You have planted seeds of hope that will bear fruit for generations and let us reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring that no child in Uganda and beyond is left behind in accessing quality healthcare. Together, we can build a future where every child has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and achieve their full potential,” she concluded.
Rossella Miccio, the president of Emergency noted that this advancement will allow children to recover faster and return to their homes, schools, and communities.
“We have already operated on 9 children using this machine, and at the moment, we will still be combining both open surgery and laparoscopy, and on the Minister’s appeal of expansion, we shall look at it in the near future,” she said.
The country director of Children’s Surgical Hospital, Giacomo Iacomino, emphasized that the hospital provides all services at a zero fee to not only Ugandan children but also to neighboring countries like Burundi, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Afghanistan, among others.
When asked about the cost of the machine, Iacomino said that it goes for around £300 – £600 in Europe, but still, it also depends on the additional equipment associated with it however this machine was as a result of the donation by a family.
In Uganda, EMERGENCY provides high-quality paediatric surgical care, completely free of charge. More than half of Uganda’s population (48.6 million) is under 18, and the mortality rate for children under 5 is 40.5 per 1,000. Paediatric surgical needs here are immense – more than 15% of Ugandan children have an untreated surgical condition – and existing dedicated resources are insufficient. Laparoscopy is the international standard for minimally invasive surgery, and represents a significant step forward for improving paediatric care in Uganda.
The Children’s Surgical Hospital with its 72-bed capacity and player in bridging this gap provides free and high-quality care to children since 2021, including over 35,000 paediatric outpatient visits and more than 5,000 surgical interventions.
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