The update was given during the inauguration of the institute's new Board of Directors, which will oversee the completion and operationalisation of the expanded facility.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director Dr John Omagino said the new hospital will significantly strengthen Uganda's capacity to provide advanced cardiovascular care while positioning the country as a regional destination for specialised treatment and medical tourism.
“By the end of last month, we had covered over 50 per cent of the construction, and as we speak the works are approaching 60 per cent. Come June next year, we expect the project to be 100 per cent complete, despite the few challenges we have encountered,” Omagino said.
He said cardiovascular diseases remain among Uganda's leading non-communicable diseases, affecting nearly one in four adults.
The expanded facility, he added, will enhance prevention, diagnosis, research and treatment while reducing the need for Ugandans to seek costly specialised care abroad.
Omagino also commended the outgoing board for establishing governance structures, overseeing the commencement of construction works and supporting the expansion of specialised cardiac services.
According to the institute, staffing has grown from about 150 employees in 2021 to more than 330 in 2026. Government has also approved a staffing structure of 1,435 personnel to support full operations once the new hospital becomes operational.
The Executive Director further revealed that government recently invested US$3 million in a new cardiac catheterisation laboratory, replacing equipment that had served the institute for 13 years.
He said the new catheterisation laboratory is now fully operational and is expected to support cardiac interventions for at least another decade.
Beyond infrastructure development, the Uganda Heart Institute is expanding specialised cardiac services to regional referral hospitals, with surgical outreach programmes already underway in Jinja and similar services being rolled out in Mbarara, Lira and other parts of the country.
Omagino said the institute's internationally recognised fellowship training programme continues to produce specialists whose qualifications are recognised by leading professional colleges in the United States and Europe, strengthening Uganda's capacity in specialised cardiac care.
“A child should not have to travel from Moroto, Soroti or West Nile to Kampala for procedures that can be done closer to home. Our goal is to establish cardiac centres across regional hospitals so that specialised heart care becomes accessible to all Ugandans,” he said.
He added that government has allocated an additional Shs3 billion in the current financial year to train more cardiologists and other specialised health professionals.
According to Omagino, the new Board of Directors will prioritise completing the hospital, securing adequate staffing and funding, expanding regional cardiac centres and implementing a medical tourism strategy aimed at attracting patients from across East Africa.
The newly inaugurated board will serve from 2026 to 2030 and is expected to steer the Uganda Heart Institute through its next phase of growth as it expands specialised cardiovascular care in Uganda and the wider region.