The Uganda Organ Donation and Transplant Council will begin operations once the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development provides Shs5 billion for its operationalisation, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has said.
She was responding to a written question from Koboko Municipality MP, Charles Ayume, during Prime Minister’s Time on January 23, 2025.
Ayume raised concerns over the backlog of over 100 patients in need of kidney transplants since the enactment of the Uganda Organ Donation and Transplant Act, 2023.
“Mulago Hospital now has the capacity for kidney transplants, while Lubaga Hospital can conduct liver transplants. The only hindrance is the appointment and operationalisation of the Organ Transplant Council,” Ayume said.
He pressed the government on when it would constitute and operationalise the council to save lives and curb medical tourism for those unable to seek treatment abroad.
In response, Nabbanja stated that the total budget needed to establish the council is Shs7.2 billion, with the Ministry of Health requesting Shs5 billion in the Financial Year 2025/2026.
She further revealed that seven members have been identified for appointment to the council, which will oversee key functions, including the regulation, organisation, and supervision of all national human organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplant activities.
Meanwhile, last week, the Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, Dr Rosemary Byanyima, appeared before the Committee on Health, where she requested Shs8.5 billion in additional funding for organ transplant services in the Financial Year 2025/2026.
