Lira Hospital ready to handle AFCON 2027 medical emergencies

Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Authorities have declared Lira Regional Referral Hospital ready to handle medical emergencies during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) games. The hospital, located in Lira City, has a bed capacity of between 400 and 456 and serves a catchment population of about three million people across the Lango sub-region and neighboring districts.

With matches expected to be played at the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium, currently under construction, the city is preparing to host thousands of players and fans, raising the need for strong medical preparedness. The hospital currently has 17 specialists, including physicians, gynecologists, pediatricians, intensive care experts, nephrologists, ENT and eye surgeons, as well as orthopedic surgeons, to handle various medical emergencies.

The Minister of Health and Lira City Woman MP, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, said the hospital is well prepared to respond to any emergencies during the tournament. She added that the Ministry of Health is working closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the inter-ministerial committee, and the National Council of Sports to ensure that adequate medical personnel and services are in place.

Lira Regional Referral Hospital also hosts the Regional Ambulance Dispatch Centre, which coordinates 12 ambulances serving nearly 100 health facilities across 10 administrative units in the Lango sub-region. The system helps improve emergency response times and access to care.The facility also operates an oxygen plant capable of producing up to 120 cylinders of medical oxygen daily. The plant uses double-capacity technology that allows it to fill oxygen cylinders while also supplying oxygen directly to the hospital through a modern medical gas piping system. Dr. Andrew Odur, the Acting Hospital Director, confirmed that the hospital is well-equipped to handle medical needs during the tournament.

However, Odur appealed to the government to deploy more ambulances to the region ahead of the tournament to strengthen emergency response capacity. He added that the equipment and services introduced for AFCON should remain to support health services even after the games.

Uganda will jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations together with Kenya and Tanzania under the “Pamoja Bid.” The tournament is scheduled to take place between June and July 2027 and will mark the return of AFCON to the CECAFA region for the first time since 1976.

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