Published on 25/09/2025
Ministry of Health is advocating for increased investment in training medical personnel to elevate Uganda’s medical tourism sector to the level of global leaders like India and Türkiye.
Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, made this proposal during a panel discussion at the 9th Economic Growth Forum on August 29, 2025, at Kampala Serena Hotel. Addressing key stakeholders, she outlined strategic policies to enhance Uganda’s economic resilience, accelerate productivity, and boost competitiveness to grow the economy from $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040.
Dr. Atwine emphasized the need to upskill Uganda’s medical workforce and create a supportive environment with modern equipment and competitive remuneration to curb brain drain. “Highly skilled personnel are essential for medical tourism, a significant revenue source for countries like India and Türkiye,” she said. “This requires investing in specialist training, which we have not done adequately, and creating an environment that retains talent.”
She highlighted the potential to attract Ugandan medical professionals from the diaspora, noting that many run hospitals in South Africa. “If we bring a neurosurgeon here without the right equipment, they will leave,” Dr. Atwine explained. “By investing in human resources and equipment, we can attract patients from neighboring countries, significantly contributing to economic growth through medical tourism.”
However, Dr. Nicholas Kamara, MP for Kabale Municipality and a member of the Parliament’s Health Committee, opposed the proposal, arguing that healthcare is a public good, not a profit-making venture. “Our priority should be ensuring Ugandans are healthy, not chasing medical tourism,” he said.
He pointed out that only 3% of Ugandans are covered by health insurance, compared to 50% in Kenya, 70% in Ethiopia, and 50% in Tanzania. “With 40% of healthcare costs borne out of pocket and 40% from donors, we haven’t invested enough to prioritize medical tourism,” he added, calling the idea “total rubbish.”
The global medical tourism market, valued at approximately $439 billion annually, generates $45–$72 billion yearly, with individual medical visits costing between $3,800 and $6,000, according to international payment systems. A February 2025 study, Tackling Uganda’s Medical Expenditures Abroad: Exploring the Role of NHIS as a Policy Choice for Financing Medical Tourism, revealed that Uganda spent UGX 26.6 billion ($7.2 million) on medical referrals abroad between 2021 and 2024, covering 399 patients.
Dr. Timothy Batuwa, MP for Jinja South, supported Dr. Atwine’s proposal, noting that recent government policies and laws have positioned Uganda to pursue medical tourism through specialized care. “Specialized medical services, not widely available in many countries, provide a strong foundation for medical tourism,” he said, citing the shift from broad medical disciplines to specialized care in Uganda’s health system.
Dr. Atwine also addressed brain drain in the pharmaceutical sector, where a lack of qualified industrial pharmacists forces reliance on foreign expertise. She proposed a skills gap registry to identify and address shortages, stating, “Countries like Singapore thrive on human capital. We must re-engineer systems, assess skill gaps, and make intentional investments.”
The 2020–2021 data projects a 25% annual growth in the medical tourism market, driven by demand for cosmetic surgery, dental treatments, orthopedic surgeries, and cardiac procedures. In Africa, North Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa dominate the sector.
The study’s authors recommended fast-tracking the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Bill to strengthen Uganda’s healthcare system and establish the country as a medical tourism hub. They also urged the government to develop a medical tourism policy and increase health sector funding to provide affordable, high-quality care.
By balancing investment in training, infrastructure, and policy reforms, Uganda aims to reduce medical referrals abroad, retain talent, and position itself as a leading destination for medical tourists in Africa.
