Mufti Flags Off Free Eye Camp at Old Kampala Hospital

MAYUGE– His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, has officially flagged off the commencement of free treatment for eye illnesses in the community.

The eye camp is organized by several donors, including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre and Al-Basar International Foundation, both founded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The program is coordinated by Munazzamat Al-Da’wa Al-Islamiyya in conjunction with Old Kampala Hospital, a Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) health facility.

The camp began on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at Old Kampala Hospital and will run until October 7, 2025. Another session is scheduled for Mayuge Health Centre IV, a UMSC facility in the Busoga region, from October 8–12, 2025.

The free services include eye screening, provision of eyeglasses, and minor eye surgeries, administered by fifteen (15) Saudi eye specialists.

In his remarks at the launch, Mufti Mubaje expressed deep gratitude to the Saudi charitable organizations spearheading the initiative and thanked Munazzamat for its coordination. He described the exercise as timely, noting that it would greatly benefit less-privileged community members who cannot afford the high cost of eye treatment.

Addressing the large crowd of patients who had turned up for care, he urged them to follow the doctors’ guidelines for a quick recovery. “I implore all citizens to regularly go for medical check-ups, which are vital in knowing one’s health status. For example, Old Kampala Hospital offers free body checks for common illnesses such as high blood pressure, HIV, and prostate cancer, among others. Learn to value your bodies,” he said. He further praised such humanitarian activities as a means of strengthening cooperation between brotherly nations.

Earlier, Dr. Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Kisule, the Presidential Advisor on Arab and Muslim Countries, hailed the eye camp as vital for bilateral cooperation among stakeholders. He also thanked the UMSC, and in particular Mufti Mubaje, for allowing such a humanitarian activity to take place at its premises.

Present at the launch were senior UMSC officials, including His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa (Deputy Mufti), Hon. Haji Abbas Muluubya Ssekyanzi (Secretary General), Hon. Counsel Haji Muhammad Ali Aluma (Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance & Administration), Hon. Abdu-Razaq Arinda (Deputy Secretary General in charge of Development & Planning), and Hon. Hajjat Sophie Safina Kenyangi (National Muslim Women Chairperson and Host Director of Old Kampala Hospital). Also in attendance was Dr. Umar El-Gaz, Regional Director of Munazzamat Al-Islamiyya Uganda Office, alongside representatives from the donor countries.

The first day of the camp concluded with over 500 patients receiving treatment for various eye conditions.