Kampala, Uganda: President Museveni has appointed senior consultant surgeon, Dr Charles Olaro, as the new Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health.
Dr Olaro has been serving in an acting capacity since November 2024, following the redeployment of Dr Henry Mwebesa to head the Health Service Commission. His confirmation was announced Thursday morning by the Ministry of Health in a public statement.
“Congratulations, Dr. Charles Olaro, upon your appointment as Director General Health Services,” the ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday morning.
Dr Olaro previously served as Director of Clinical Services and has been a key figure in Uganda’s health sector, particularly during the COVID-19 response, when he helped lead the coordination of curative services amid strained national resources.
A graduate of Makerere University, the senior Surgeon holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (1994) and a Master’s in Surgery (1999). He also earned postgraduate qualifications in Health Services Management and an MBA from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI).
Dr Olaro’s medical leadership journey includes stints at major regional hospitals. At Arua Regional Referral Hospital, he served as consultant surgeon and medical superintendent from 2001 to 2008.
Later, he was appointed Director of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, where he led initiatives to reduce absenteeism, improve sanitation, and build stronger linkages with local government structures.
Dr Olaro takes over the ministry’s technical leadership at a time when Uganda’s healthcare system continues to grapple with staffing gaps, infrastructure strain, and shifting disease burdens amid a growing population.
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