IUIU calls for support to set up medical hub

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Islamic University in Uganda-IUIU council has called for support from the government and Muslim donors to establish a medical center of excellence.

Addressing journalists at the government-owned media center on Tuesday, the IUIU council chairperson Faisal Abdul Aziiz Alzamel, said that besides receiving support from the Islamic Development Bank, more is needed from donors given the huge financial implication the investment will require.

The medical hub according to Alzamel is intended for student training but also to boost health care in the country with up-to-date hospital equipment.

Some of the medical operations to be carried out at the hub will include organ transplants. Alzamel noted that to kick start the phase of the project, an estimated USD 20 Million is needed for the purchase of equipment. However, the quotation is subject to change once basic studies and approval by authorities are completed.

Nusura Tiperu, a member of the IUIU Council, who said that the construction should start by 2023, noted that besides being a teaching center, the medical hub will serve as a business project to boost university resources.

Professor Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda, the Vice-Chancellor of IUIU, who was also present, said that it’s important for IUIU to take the lead in Science, Technology, and Innovations Development, which is a key role of education institutions at the time.

In February, IUIU was designated as the hub for Science Technology, and Innovation in Africa under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Under the arrangement, students are to be trained in areas like Space Technology, Geographical Information Systems, and clinical studies among others.

IUIU University was founded on February 10, 1988, with over 800 students at its main campus in the then Mbale municipality. Since then, the university has opened campuses in Kibuli, Kabojja, and Arua city. This is not the first University to consider setting up a hospital, Makerere University intends to establish a teaching hospital as part of its centenary celebrations.