Mulago National Referral Hospital will carryout 65 kidney transplants and other organs in October according to the hospital director, Dr. Baterana Byarugaba.

The 65 pkidney patients are currently undergoing dialysis. Baterana says the kidney transplants would be free of charge.

Dr. Byarugaba says Mulago hospital has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a team of medical specialists and other administrators from Yashoda Hospital, an Indian centre for excellence in kidney and other transplants.

He says that a team of 15 specialists from Mulago Hospital comprising of urologists, nephrologists and nurses have been selected and will be attached to Yashoda Hospitals for a three-month intensive training on all aspects of kidney transplant program.

Mulago Hospital has never had kidney transplants and has been referring patients to South Africa, United Kingdom. With the opening up of such services, Mulago hospital will reduce on the referrals.

Dr. Vishnu Reddy, a chief operating officer and chief consultant anaesthesiologist from Yashoda Hospital says that it would be cheaper for Mulago hospital to carry out kidney transplants than continue patients on dialysis.

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