Lira Regional Referral Hospital is stepping up its preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
On Tuesday, a team of its top managers travelled to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital to learn from a sister facility.
The delegation was led by the hospital’s Senior Executive Consultant, Dr Andrew Odur. It was warmly received by his Hoima counterpart, Dr Ibrahim Bwaga, and the Hoima Hospital Board chairperson, Canon Sabiti Mbabazi.
The visit gives the two regional referral hospitals a chance to exchange experiences, share best practices and strengthen service delivery.
According to Dr Odur, the engagement will also advance Lira Hospital’s readiness for the continental tournament.
Matches are expected at the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium, which is still under construction.
Lira City is therefore preparing to host thousands of players and fans, which raises the need for strong medical preparedness.
Earlier this year, authorities in Lira City declared the hospital ready to handle medical emergencies during the games. It has a bed capacity of between 400 and 456 and serves a catchment population of about three million people across the Lango sub-region and neighbouring districts.
By March this year, the hospital had 17 specialists. They include physicians, gynecologists, pediatricians, intensive care experts, nephrologists, ear, nose and throat (ENT) and eye surgeons, and orthopedic surgeons.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, the Lira City Woman Member of Parliament and Government Chief Whip, has previously said the hospital is well prepared to respond to any emergency during the tournament.
The former Health Minister said the Ministry of Health was working closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the inter-ministerial committee and the National Council of Sports to ensure adequate medical personnel and services are in place.
Lira Hospital also hosts the Regional Ambulance Dispatch Centre. It coordinates 12 ambulances serving nearly 100 health facilities across 10 administrative units in the Lango sub-region, and the system helps improve emergency response times and access to care.
The hospital also runs an oxygen plant that can produce up to 120 cylinders of medical oxygen daily. Its double-capacity technology lets it fill cylinders while supplying oxygen directly to the hospital through a modern medical gas piping system.
Dr Odur confirmed that the hospital is well equipped to meet medical needs during the tournament.
Nevertheless, he appealed to the government to deploy more ambulances to the region ahead of the games to strengthen emergency response capacity.
He added that the equipment and services introduced for AFCON should remain in place to support health services long after the final whistle.
Pamoja bid
Uganda will co-host AFCON 2027 with Kenya and Tanzania under the “Pamoja Bid.”
The tournament is scheduled for June and July 2027 and will return AFCON to the CECAFA region for the first time since 1976.
