Private Clinics in Uganda Struggle Under Mounting Patient Debts and Operational Costs
By Tonny Abet
Kampala – A Ugandan doctor has spotlighted the harsh realities of running a private health facility, revealing how unpaid patient bills, combined with taxes and rent, forced the closure of his clinic after years of unrecovered debts.
In a widely shared post on X, Dr. Sserunjogi Emma recounted a patient’s promise during treatment: “Doctor work on me, don’t worry about money, just save my life, payment is going to come.”
Three years and seven months later, the patient’s life was saved, but no payment arrived.
"It's been 3yrs and 7 months. Life was saved, no money came. URA came for its tax, landlord rent was paid out of pocket and patient is now driving," he added.
His experience is far from isolated. Dr. Robert Kalyesubula, a specialist and former clinic owner, shared a similar story in response, confirming he had to shut down his Kyanja Clinic when patients owed nearly 67 million shillings.
“By the time I closed the Kyanja Clinic, my patients owed us about 67 M. The clinic collapsed and the patients sought care elsewhere,” Dr. Kalyesubula wrote. He now works with larger hospitals that handle billing, taxes, and collections, allowing him to focus on care and take a cut of the remainder.
The posts have sparked widespread discussion among Ugandan medical professionals, many of whom described identical challenges: patients seeking emergency treatment on credit, then vanishing or blocking contact once stable.
According to the doctors, without widespread health insurance or strict payment systems, private facilities often absorb these losses while still facing fixed costs like rent, supplies, staff salaries, and regulatory demands.
tonnyabet@gmail.com
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