St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu City has appealed to the government to assign additional seconded doctors to its facility following the loss of its long-serving director, Dr Cyprian Opira.
The hospital laid Dr. Opira to rest on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
He had led the institution for 25 years, playing a pivotal role in its growth and operations.
Currently, Lacor Hospital has only two seconded doctors provided by the Ministry of Health.
Dr Martin Ogwal, the hospital’s institutional director, emphasized the need for additional government support to help the hospital maintain affordable treatment fees for all Ugandans.
“The gentleman we have buried today, Dr Cyprian Opira—affectionately known as Dr CP—was a senior consultant radiologist and a seconded staff member who retired three years ago. We believe that if the government sends more seconded staff, it will help us keep treatment fees affordable,” Dr Ogwal said.
Several speakers paid tribute to Dr Opira, praising his unwavering dedication to healthcare in Uganda.
“Dr CP was unique. He cared about his patients more than himself,” remarked Kenneth Omona, the minister of State for Northern Uganda.
Dr Opira’s legacy includes his resilience during the LRA insurgency and the Ebola outbreak in the early 2000s, where he treated government soldiers, rebels, and civilians alike.
“He was always jolly, even in the face of adversity,” Omona recalled with admiration.
Looking to the future, Dr Charles Olaro, Director of General Health Services at the Ministry of Health, pledged to advocate for installing a CT scan at Lacor and to increase human resources at the facility.
“We recently posted a young physician here, and we need to deploy additional staff,” he assured the gathering of thousands who came to honor Dr Opira’s legacy.
Local leaders also urged President Yoweri Museveni to fulfill his promise of sending eight seconded doctors to St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor.
Omona, on behalf of the President, conveyed a condolence contribution of Shs10 million to Dr Opira’s family.
