The Government of Belgium, through its development agency Enabel, has donated medical training equipment valued at Shs 1.2 billion to Uganda’s health training institutions.
The handover took place at Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, receiving the equipment on behalf of the government.
The donation will benefit Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery, Hoima School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Fort Portal College of Health Sciences.
This intervention is part of the broader 2023–2028 Uganda–Belgium cooperation framework, which focuses on upgrading infrastructure, enhancing instructional capacity, modernizing curricula, and strengthening management in health training institutions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Turyagyenda commended the Government of Belgium and Enabel for their commitment to building Uganda’s human resource capacity in the health sector.
She noted that the new equipment would significantly enhance the quality of training for nurses, midwives, and other health professionals.
“This support will greatly improve the quality of skills training in our health institutions. We appreciate Enabel for continuously complementing government efforts in building a competent health workforce,” Dr Turyagyenda said.
William Mubiru, Enabel’s Program Manager, emphasized the importance of well-equipped skills laboratories in producing competent graduates capable of meeting Uganda’s national health demands.
Beneficiary institutions expressed optimism about the impact of the donation on practical training.
Kate Kamanda, Principal of Fort Portal College of Health Sciences, said, “This equipment will greatly enhance hands-on learning and ensure our students are ready for the field.”
Students also welcomed the support. Catherine Babuza, a student at Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery, said the equipment would create a more realistic and professional learning environment.
“We are excited because this will help us practice better and become more confident health workers,” she noted.
The donation marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between Uganda and Belgium, reinforcing efforts to improve healthcare delivery through strengthened training institutions.
