The Kyabirwa Surgical Center History
The Kyabirwa Surgical Center has a rich history.
Founded in 2019 by Members of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York (USA) and community members of Jinja, Eastern Uganda, the Kyabirwa Surgical Centre (KSC) is Global Surgical Initiatives’ Inc. (GSI) flagship surgical healthcare facility. KSC was established to break down barriers to, and overcome myths associated with, accessing safe, quality, and timely surgical care in rural and remote areas.
KSC’s success demonstrates that life-saving surgery does not have to be costly nor be available only to the rich. Currently, the Center fills 80% of the local surgical care gap reaching across 124 villages located in Eastern, Central, and Northern Uganda. With a total catchment area covering a nearly 100-kilometer-wide radius, KSC’s potential reach is upwards of 6.2 million - over 18% of Uganda’s total population dispersed across rural communities in Eastern, Central and Northern regions. For many communities, KSC represents the only accessible and affordable surgical care center.
Built in close partnership with the local community and the public (healthcare) sector using only local materials and locally procurable supplies, GSI employs an exclusively local workforce, providing continuous employment to over 70 healthcare and non-healthcare staff. Together, GSI and local community members built and scaled one of the most efficacious and affordable surgical centres of excellence in Eastern Uganda, treating individuals and training healthcare professionals from across the country.