Bwindi Hospital Commissions New Dental and Eye Building in a Bid to Scale Up Services

“The same man who declared Uganda the pearl of Africa has another quote, ‘You make a living by what you do, but you make a life by what you give,’” started Ricky Benson of the Rotary Club of Westport, during the commissioning and dedication of the new dental and eye building at Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH). “My life has been significantly enhanced by the participation in this project, and we hope and pray that the services that shall be provided in this new building will improve the lives of those who will come to get the services here for the years to come,” he added.

On Saturday, May 10, 2025, Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH), amidst dance and ululations by the Batwa, commissioned a new dental and eye building in Buhoma, Kanungu District. This marked a big step toward the mission of providing specialized dental and eye services in the Kigezi sub-region and beyond.

The expansion of BCH’s dental and eye services is set to enhance oral and vision care, addressing long-standing gaps in healthcare for the local community, including the indigenous Batwa people and other community members who rely on BCH for medical support.

Currently, with just one dental chair and 2 staff, the small outpatient dental clinic sees at least 150 patients on average per month. This fact underscores the need for upscaling, which will include training public health dental officers and ophthalmic clinical officers.

The event followed the ground breaking of this building, which took place in January 2024.

This building has been made possible by the exceptional generosity and commitment of individuals and charities like: Julia Amaral and Mark Strate, Tothey and Rick Benson, The Isle of Man government, Stacy and John Lippert, The Kellermann Foundation, REACH Bwindi, Mimi Simmons and Phillip Ruble, The Hope Alliance, Westport Rotary Club District 7980, Rotary Club of Kihihi District 9214, Rotary Club of Rushen, Western Mann Charitable Trust, and other generous donors.

Debbie Young from the Isle of Man government noted: “So much of the eyesight problems we see here are avoidable, and it is a wholehearted ambition to bring eye care services to this area along with the dental.” This was after spending a week doing free community eye screening outreaches. Young is one of the pioneers of the eye clinic at BCH.

The building was dedicated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Kinkiizi, the Rt. Rev. Dan Zoreka.

By Elizabeth Namara