Here’s to Friendship and Health
Kenneth Mugweri is a happy man after recently being discharged from the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital in Naguru, located on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital Kampala.
Having undergone a hernia operation, he said, “The treatment I got from this hospital is excellent. Both Ugandan and Chinese medical staff worked on me and I had a successful operation.”
Staff at the hospital echoed Mugweri’s sentiment. Senior nurse Rebecca Nantale said she appreciated the Chinese government for helping to construct the hospital. “It is among the best in the country. I enjoy working in this hospital because it has all the necessary equipment and faculties,” said Nantale.
China recently made a significant donation of medicine and equipment to the hospital, which was handed over by Tang Min, head of the 25th batch of the Chinese medical team, at a ceremony held at the hospital attended by officials from the Chinese Embassy in Uganda on 19 November 2025. It forms part of a long-standing cooperation between the two countries to improve health care in Uganda. The hospital’s management, and the government at large, expressed gratitude for the timely and helpful contribution.
China’s helping hand
When receiving the donation, Irene Nayiga, the hospital’s executive director, told ChinAfrica that the large amount of drugs and equipment brought to the hospital by a team of Chinese health experts will go a long way in treating local patients.
“[The] Chinese team donated supplies including essential medical equipment like a high-pressure autoclave, a vital signs monitor and a carbon dioxide cell incubator, as well as various pharmaceutical supplies. We want to commend the Chinese team for the timely donation to our hospital,” said Nayiga.
She added she was appreciative of China periodically sending medical teams to share knowledge and skills with their Ugandan counterparts, as they strive to improve local health care.
Tang said the donation shows the deep friendship and long-term cooperation between China and Uganda and carries the unwavering commitment of China to the health and well-being of the Ugandan people.
“We are happy that we are presenting these devices, which will greatly boost the laboratory diagnostic and emergency treatment capabilities of the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital and deliver benefits to both the people and the local community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Diana Atwine, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, told ChinAfrica that this donation “is part of China’s ongoing commitment to supporting Uganda’s health care system.” Since 1983, China has been sending medical teams to Uganda, and over 220 doctors have treated over 1 million patients in this country.
Atwine said that on 11 December 2024, a Chinese medical team, led by Li Yun, also donated a batch of essential medical supplies and equipment to the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital. In addition, on 9 December 2022, China Communications Construction Co. donated medical supplies to the hospital, Atwine added.
Long history of friendship
The China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, with over 100 beds, was built through a partnership between Uganda and China at a cost of $8 million.
Kampala Capital City Authority provided a 5-acre (2 hectares) site where the hospital was built. The government of Uganda contributed an estimated $2 million in tax waivers on construction materials used to build the hospital, landscaping, road access and licensing fees.
The construction of the hospital began in 2009 and was completed in December 2011. It consists of seven buildings, four operating rooms, a maternity ward, a paediatric unit, a teenage centre (adolescent health unit), a blood bank, radiology department (including a CT scanner) and housing for medical staff.
It has a large outpatient facility along with a surgical theatre, labour and delivery wards.
The hospital was officially handed over to the Ugandan government on 10 January 2012, to be jointly administered by the Ugandan Ministry of Health and Kampala Capital City Authority.
Salim Uhuru, mayor of Kampala Central Division, told ChinAfrica that the hospital is intended to serve primarily the residents of Kampala metropolitan and the neighbouring districts.
“The China-Uganda Friendship Hospital serves many Ugandans living in its vicinity. It is also meant to decongest Mulago National Referral Hospital.”
Mulago is the only national referral public hospital in the country, serving over 3 million inhabitants of the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Therefore, the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital’s support to Mulago hospital in treating referred patients from all over the country is highly appreciated, said Atwine.
Simon Kakugube, spokesperson of the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, told ChinAfrica that the hospital has been struggling to cope with an increasing patient load.
“Each day, we receive over 500 patients seeking medical care. The donated equipment will help to enhance the quality of medical services, improve the diagnostic and treatment environment, and ensure more timely and professional care for the people of Uganda,” said Kakugube.
Ongoing assistance
However, China did not stop at only constructing the hospital and handing it over in 2012. It continues to periodically offer support by providing equipment and maintenance for the buildings.
For example, on 26 August 2024, China pledged $5 million for the expansion of the hospital. The funding is part of the broader initiatives under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, aimed at strengthening ties and fostering development across Africa.
China’s involvement in Uganda’s health care extends beyond financial support. Then Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said that Chinese medical teams are dispatched annually to work alongside Ugandan doctors at the hospital, performing thousands of surgeries and outpatient consultations.
China’s contributions to Uganda are not limited to health care either. Zhang highlighted significant investments in various sectors, particularly infrastructure. He mentioned the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, Uganda’s first toll road, as a landmark project financed by a Chinese bank and constructed by a Chinese company.
Uganda’s Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng told ChinAfrica that China’s donations of the hospital, equipment and medicine reflect the deep friendship and long-term cooperation between China and Uganda, and underscores China’s commitment to the health and well-being of the Ugandan people.
Nineteen-year-old Beatrice Akulu suffered from ulcers for over 6 months and had her condition cured by the treatment she received at the hospital.
“Since I was successfully treated at the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, I now go there whenever I require medical treatment,” she said.
