The Surgery

Kampala is the capital city of Uganda, situated on the northern shore of Lake Victoria in eastern Africa. Makerere University, one of East and Central Africa’s premier educational institutions, is located in Kampala, as is the headquarters of the East African Development Bank. Despite its close proximity to the equator, the city has a moderate climate, largely due to its elevation of 4,000 feet/1,200 meters.

Become familiar with Uganda’s culture, history and economy by reviewing the Wikipedia Uganda Page. One rich resource for Uganda health information is the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME Uganda Country Profile.

Those coming for care at The Surgery are mostly expatriates, tourists, wealthier Ugandans, and those working for entities that provided medical insurance – including airlines, embassies and NGOs located in Uganda. The Surgery patients tend to be more educated and well-to-do than mainstream Africans. The Surgery also offers charitable services, for example to street a children’s ministry and to orphanages, though these are not main populations served.

English is the most common language spoken in Kampala. The entire staff of The Surgery speak English, as do most all the patients. Other languages commonly used in the city include Swahili, Luganda, and Congolese.

The Surgery is an International Medical Clinic established in the 1940’s and is based on the General Practice model as followed by Britain, Canada and many other European countries. This 24-hour medical facility includes an ambulance service, emergency department, limited in-patient care, laboratory services, immunization, pediatrics, and family medicine.

The Surgery routinely provides care for a wide range of emergencies, including trauma, renal colic, myocardial infarction, severe malaria, meningitis, appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, severe respiratory infections, HIV multiple organ disease, and acute asthma. Comprehensive outpatient care is also provided, where schistosomiasis, amoebas, giardiasis, and malaria are commonly managed. Minor surgical procedures are performed at The Surgery, and major cases are referred to appropriate medical centers.

The Surgery is lead by Dr Richard Stockley, MBBS, a British trained general practitioner who graduated from the Liverpool School for Tropical Medicine. He has lived and worked in Uganda since 1984. He is joined by eight other physicians of Canadian, Australian, and Ugandan background.

INMED invites all participants to consider raising extra funds to financially support this facility. While such efforts are not required, they provide opportunity for INMED personnel to become involved in this important aspect of international healthcare.

Mobile phones and calling cards can be purchased in Kampala. Internet cafes are plentiful.

The Surgery