The CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda (CURE Uganda) is the world’s foremost neurosurgical hospital, treating children suffering from brain conditions such as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, and tumors.
Over its 21-year history, the hospital has expanded and improved its facility to ensure that all patients have access to the safest care possible. The nature of neurosurgery requires that each patient stay overnight for observation in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after their surgery.
The hospital’s existing ICU wasn’t able to handle an increased patient volume and the hospital had to postpone new patient surgeries until some of the children in the ICU could be safely moved to the ward.
On September 22, 2022 CURE Uganda opened a new specialized pediatric ICU building, setting a new benchmark for surgical care for children with treatable disabilities. The building was funded by CURE’s affiliate in Canada.
Speaking at the grand opening ceremony, guest of honor Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, said,
“I am amazed at the power of having a vision and commitment, and you walk that path until you achieve it,” says Dr. Diana Atwine Ahamada Washaki. “I love the mission you stand for; I love the values you uphold; I love the culture of work that you have; I love the environment that you create for our people; I love that you value quality; I love the spiritual component of your service – that you care for the whole person, and you let the children know that they are special to God.”
Fully Equipped for Critical Care
The new eighteen-bed ICU is fully equipped with piped oxygen, medical air, modern ventilators, wall suctions, infusion pumps, and other critical care devices and accessories. It is the largest pediatric ICU in the country.
“Our capacity to perform more surgeries a day while still doing critical care services will expand significantly,” says Tim Erickson, Executive Director of CURE Uganda. “We will be able to increase our capacity to treat more children by 80%. For surgery volume, we will be able to reach our future surgical goals of more than 2,000 children each year.”
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of pediatric surgical hospitals, which serve one of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations – children with disabilities. Patients at CURE hospitals suffer from orthopedic, neurosurgical, and maxillofacial conditions that limit their mobility/functionality and opportunities for education and employment. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE intentionally ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients in its care and invests in training programs that aim to equip the next generation of health workers and strengthen national health care systems. Since inception, CURE has conducted more than 5.3 million patient visits and 330,000 surgical procedures around the world. For more information, visit https://cure.org/.
