As Uganda moves closer to its long-awaited first oil in 2026, doctors are raising concerns that the country may not be prepared to handle the human cost of industrial accidents.
Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Dr Charles Kabugo, Executive Director of Kiruddu National Referral Hospital, warned that oil and gas activities come with a heightened risk of devastating burn injuries, yet Uganda’s capacity to treat them remains limited.
“If you get into oil and gas exploration, the risk of big fires gets high,” Dr Kabugo told lawmakers. “We definitely need a bigger unit that should be able to manage this type of patients.”
At Kiruddu, one of the country’s key facilities for managing severe burns, doctors are already working under pressure.
Burn injuries are among the most complex and resource-intensive cases to treat, requiring specialised units, trained staff, and long-term care. A sudden surge in patients, Dr Kabugo warned, could quickly overwhelm existing capacity.
His concern is not theoretical. Countries with active oil industries, such as Nigeria, have experienced deadly pipeline explosions—often linked to illegal tapping—leaving dozens with life-threatening burns.
Patients frequently endure prolonged hospital stays, multiple surgeries, and lasting physical and psychological trauma, while families face significant emotional and financial strain during recovery.
Dr Kabugo is proposing the construction of a dedicated burns hospital near Uganda’s oil production areas, where the risk of fire-related disasters is expected to be highest.
The plan, still in development, aims to bring specialised care closer to potential hotspots and improve emergency response times.
“We are in the process of developing a proposal that we want to present to government,” he said.
Uganda’s oil sector has long been viewed as a pathway to economic transformation. However, as infrastructure develops, health experts say emergency preparedness must be prioritised alongside investment.
For now, facilities like Kiruddu remain a critical lifeline. But with oil production on the horizon, doctors warn that without urgent planning and expanded capacity, the health system risks being overwhelmed when it is needed most.
