Dr. Nicholas Lubega starts most days at CURE Malawi with an early morning walk through the children’s ward. During one of these rounds, he encountered a group of moms and dads who’d gathered to worship—some with babies strapped to their backs. As their children waited for or recovered from surgeries, these parents were lifting their voices in praise and thanksgiving to God.
These are the days Dr. Lubega thinks he has the best job in the world.
A Family Legacy Leads to CURE
Dr. Lubega’s journey to becoming an orthopedic surgeon began with his father’s footsteps in Uganda, where the family is from. His dad grew up in a rural village and was among the first in his generation to attend university, going on to become a teacher himself.
“My dad was my mentor; he knew education was important,” Dr. Lubega shares. “In Uganda, if you do well in high school, you can attend university on a government scholarship. Dad told us kids to work hard, and we did. That’s how I got to medical school.”
It was around this time that Dr. Lubega gave his life to Christ. “I instantly knew I wanted to minister to people’s physical and spiritual needs,” he says. “I always wanted to serve in a Christian hospital.”
After graduating with his medical degree from Uganda’s Makerere University in Kampala and completing an internship at a regional hospital in Mbale, Dr. Lubega served for two years at Kiwoko Hospital, a mission hospital in central Uganda. As he observed the growing need for orthopedic surgeons, he learned that CURE International was offering scholarships for postgraduate surgical training.
“I applied, was accepted, and completed my postgraduate studies in orthopedics back at Makerere University with CURE’s support,” Dr. Lubega recounts. After he graduated, Dr. Lubega joined the team at CURE Malawi, where he was needed most.
A Commitment to Serve
This September marks Dr. Lubega’s 20th year as an orthopedic surgeon with CURE Malawi, where he’s performed thousands of surgeries for children with conditions like clubfoot and bowed legs. He’s also contributed to medical research that has advanced pediatric orthopedics.
Like his father, Dr. Lubega loves teaching and he’s been able to help train hundreds of surgeons who have come through CURE Malawi and at the local medical college where he teaches. They in turn have gone on to serve in places like Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
“Stepping into CURE is like stepping into my mission field. I know this is what I was created to do,” he says.
When asked why he stays at CURE Malawi, Dr. Lubega points to children like Natasha (pictured right). He was part of the surgical team that corrected Natasha’s severely bowed legs and drew her closer to Jesus. She tells us, “Because of CURE, I understand what Jesus went through for me.” Today Natasha is back in school and pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse!
Of Dr. Lubega’s impact, Dr. Sam Maina, CURE Malawi’s Medical Director, says, “Dr. Lubega is the longest-serving member of CURE Malawi’s medical team, and he’s at the forefront of limb reconstruction surgical techniques. He’s a servant leader who brings the love of Christ into everything he does.”
Thinking back to that early morning worship service he witnessed in the children’s ward, Dr. Nicholas Lubega says, “Honestly, I have the best job in the world. There’s nothing that can take away the satisfaction of helping change children’s lives. It’s not a job, it’s a ministry.”
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