Hope Clinic Lukuli

Hope Clinic Lukuli is a not-for-profit primary healthcare clinic based in Lukuli-Nanganda, part of the Makindye administrative division of Kampala, Uganda. It was formed in 2000, beginning as a very small clinic caring for pregnant women and patients with fevers, and grew into a broad primary-care provider for the population of Lukuli and adjoining parishes. According to its own materials, over 60,000 people live within two miles of the site, and the clinic is open every day and all hours, staffed by more than 20 people. The clinic offers a broad range of primary healthcare services: fever management, out-patient care, maternal health, child health, and comprehensive HIV, AIDS and TB services. It describes itself as a sustainable but 'not for profit' clinic that balances the need to meet staff and drug costs with a reluctance to create pricing barriers that would deny neighbours the services they need. With help from sponsors and supporters it provides free-of-charge child immunisation, free HIV counselling and testing, and free information on family planning. Hope Clinic Lukuli began with Joyce Bbosa as a solo-midwife helping pregnant women and trying to mitigate the effects of fevers and diarrhoea in children and adults. The founding members of the clinic represented a cross-section of the local population, including a retired teacher, a civil engineer, a retired civil servant, a shopkeeper, a local council official, a teacher, an accountant and a businesswoman. The original clinic saw very few patients per month; by 2004 it attended to over 350 a month, and after new premises opened in July 2005 out-patients grew to over 600 a month. The consultation charge has been kept at Shs 1,000. The clinic has maintained Ugandan-led day-to-day management. A UK charity and its UK bank account were wound up, and since 2014 supporters have been asked to contact the former trustees or the co-founder and director. The clinic works with partners and national plans, and its services are integrated with general healthcare, including HIV and TB care supported by programmes such as PEPFAR, The Global Fund, UNITAID and the Government providing ARVs.

Hope Clinic Lukuli was formed in 2000 in Lukuli, at the southern edges of Kampala, Uganda. At that time Lukuli was a mixture of a few large older houses and farmed smallholdings with simple one- or two-room dwellings. The administrative parish called Lukuli encompassed seven 'zones', each of a few dozen houses. The founding members of the clinic provided a cross-section of the population: a retired teacher formerly at Gayaza Girls School, a civil engineer, a retired civil servant, a shopkeeper who also designs traditional Gomesi dresses and her husband, a local council official, a teacher, an accountant and a businesswoman working in Kampala. The clinic began with Joyce Bbosa as a solo-midwife helping pregnant women and trying to mitigate the effects of fevers and diarrhoea in children and adults. The 2001 Census recorded 12,000 people in Lukuli, with adjoining parishes combining to 53,000 people living within 2km of the clinic. Most households used shared taps or spring water. The nearest Government health facility, Kiruddu health centre, was three miles (5km) away by road. While wealthier and more mobile people tended to choose larger clinics in the city, few private or government centres served this poorer urban population. The original clinic saw very few patients per month and was very small. By 2004, it attended to over 350 patients a month. New premises were built and opened in July 2005, after which out-patients grew to over 600 a month. The clinic kept its consultation charge at Shs 1,000, described as the price of a very basic meal when it started. Although Hope Clinic Lukuli began as a site for safe delivery of babies and to manage fevers in adults and children, it soon became apparent that HIV was a huge and unserved medical and social issue in Makindye. In the early years the clinic could not offer counselling and testing, and with the government facility 3 miles away and donor programmes over 5 miles away, HIV services did not really reach Makindye or Lukuli. By approaching the Ministry of Health, the clinic obtained help from Dr Akol and Dr Onyango to have HIV testing kits and drugs for PMTCT at Hope Clinic. HIV, AIDS and TB services became integrated with general healthcare, with ARVs provided through PEPFAR, The Global Fund, UNITAID and the Government. A UK charity and its UK bank account were wound up, and since 2014 supporters have been asked to contact the former trustees using charity@hcluganda.org or to contact the co-founder and director using philip@hcluganda.org. The clinic has maintained its Ugandan-led day-to-day management. It has continued to serve the Community of Lukuli for over ten years, providing a broad range of primary healthcare services for the population in Lukuli and adjoining parishes, with over 60,000 people living within 2 miles of the site and more than 20 staff open every day and all hours.

• 2014

  UK charity and its UK bank account wound up; supporters asked to contact former trustees or the co-founder and director.

• 2005

  New premises built and opened in July; out-patients grow to over 600 a month.

• 2004

  Clinic attends to over 350 patients a month.

• 2001

  Census records 12,000 people in Lukuli and 53,000 in adjoining parishes within 2km of the clinic.

• 2000

  Hope Clinic Lukuli formed in Lukuli, Kampala, beginning as a very small clinic caring for pregnant women and patients with fevers.

A sustainable, not-for-profit primary healthcare clinic removing financial barriers to advice and diagnosis for a poorer urban population in Kampala.

• Out-patient primary healthcare

  Open 24 hours every day; consultations kept at Shs 1,000; diagnosis and treatment of fevers, nausea, vomiting, skin and eye infections, and malnutrition.

• Maternal health

  The clinic began as a site for safe delivery of babies and care for pregnant women.

• Child health

  Includes free-of-charge child immunisation.

• HIV, AIDS and TB services

  Comprehensive services integrated with general healthcare, including free HIV counselling and testing; ARVs provided through PEPFAR, The Global Fund, UNITAID and the Government.

• Family planning

  Free information on family planning including various FP pills, injections and tools.

1. 1The Hope Clinic Lukuli - not for profit; for the communityhcluganda.org
2. 2The Community served by The Hope Clinic Lukulihcluganda.org
3. 3Primary Health Care For The Community At Our Out-Patients Departmenthcluganda.org
4. 4Hope Clinic Lukuli's Contribution to Uganda's Response for HIV & AIDShcluganda.org
5. 5Hope Clinic Lukuliwikidata.org