The commissioning of the Ophthalmology Department equips UMC Victoria Hospital with dedicated surgical infrastructure, specialized diagnostic equipment, and a trained clinical team to diagnose and treat a wide range of eye conditions — from routine vision care to complex surgical interventions. The first set of cataract procedures were completed without complication, with all patients reporting improved vision during post-operative review.
Addressing a Critical Health Need
Cataracts are among the most common causes of vision impairment in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa, disproportionately affecting older adults and often going untreated due to limited access to specialized ophthalmic surgical services. By establishing in-house eye surgery capability, UMC Victoria Hospital directly addresses this gap, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances or seek care abroad.
The initial cohort of cataract surgeries was performed using established, proven surgical techniques, with the hospital’s ophthalmology team working alongside experienced surgeons to ensure safety, precision, and strong clinical outcomes as the programme scales up.
Building Toward a Full-Spectrum Eye Care Centre
The launch of cataract surgery services is the first phase in a broader strategic plan to develop UMC Victoria Hospital into a leading regional centre for eye care. Planned areas of expansion include:
- Phacoemulsification (Phaco) Surgery: Introduction of modern, minimally invasive phaco cataract surgery, enabling faster recovery times, smaller incisions, and improved outcomes for patients.
- Retinal Surgery Services: Development of vitreoretinal surgical capability to treat conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and macular disorders — conditions that currently require referral outside the region.
- Glaucoma Management: Comprehensive diagnostic and surgical services for early detection and treatment of glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
- Paediatric Ophthalmology: Specialized services for children, including screening and treatment of congenital and developmental eye conditions.
- Advanced Diagnostic Imaging: Investment in equipment such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus imaging, and biometry to support precise diagnosis and surgical planning.
- Outreach and Screening Camps: Community-based vision screening programmes to identify patients in need of care early, particularly in underserved areas of Uganda and the wider East African region.
This clinical expansion is closely linked to a significant corporate development. On July 3, 2026, the Board of Directors of UniHealth approved the acquisition of an additional 49.81% equity stake in Victoria Hospital Limited (“VHL”) through a strategic share-swap transaction. Upon completion, UniHealth’s shareholding in Victoria Hospital will rise from 50.00% to 99.81%, making it an almost wholly owned subsidiary.
The newly commissioned Ophthalmology Department, therefore, represents an early, tangible return on this consolidation strategy: as UniHealth moves toward near-full ownership of Victoria Hospital, incremental investment in high-margin surgical specialties such as eye care will accrue almost entirely to the Company and its shareholders. Management expects the phased build-out of retinal, glaucoma, and paediatric ophthalmology services over the coming year to further strengthen the hospital’s specialty case mix and average revenue per patient, reinforcing the earnings-accretive rationale underpinning the stake increase.
The initiative directly expands surgical eye-care capacity in a market where cataract remains the leading cause of preventable blindness and where specialist ophthalmic services are concentrated in a small number of urban centres. In-house cataract and, eventually, retinal and glaucoma surgery reduces the distance, cost, and time patients must bear to access sight-restoring treatment, with clear implications for productivity and quality of life among the older-adult population most affected by cataract.
The Department adds a higher-margin specialty service line to a hospital that is already among the Group’s most profitable assets, at a point when the Company is moving to retain substantially all of that profitability for its own shareholders. Combined with UniHealth’s broader FY26 performance — consolidated Total Income of ₹137.01 crore, EBITDA of ₹58.82 crore, and Net Profit attributable to equity shareholders of ₹25.83 crore, with East Africa contributing the substantial majority of consolidated revenue — the ophthalmology launch and the Victoria Hospital consolidation together reinforce the earnings trajectory that has underpinned the Company’s growth since its NSE Emerge listing in September 2023.
A Milestone for Regional Healthcare
The commissioning of this department reflects UMC Victoria Hospital’s broader commitment to strengthening specialized medical services in Uganda and positioning Kampala as a hub for advanced healthcare in East Africa. Hospital leadership noted that the successful completion of the first cataract surgeries will be followed by a phased scale-up of surgical volumes, staffing, and technology over the coming year.
UMC Victoria Hospital is a multi-specialty hospital based in Kampala, Uganda, committed to providing high-quality, accessible healthcare services to patients across Uganda and the wider East African region.
Dr. Anurag Shah, Founder and Director, Unihealth Hospitals Limited, said, “Restoring sight to our first patients is a proud moment for the entire hospital. Cataracts remain one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in Uganda, and many people in our communities have limited access to timely surgical care. With this department now operational, we are able to offer that care right here in Kampala, closer to the patients who need it most”
Added, Dr. Akshay Parmar, Founder and Managing Director, Unihealth Hospitals Limited, said, “This is just the beginning, our vision is to build a full-spectrum eye care centre of excellence in Kampala — one that offers everything from routine eye examinations to advanced retinal and glaucoma surgery. Over the coming months, we will be investing in phaco surgery technology and specialist retinal surgery capability, along with expanding our clinical team, so that patients across Uganda and the region can access world-class eye care without having to travel abroad”
Unihealth Hospitals Limited
Founded in Mumbai in 2010, Unihealth Hospitals Limited is an integrated healthcare platform focused on delivering affordable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare services across India and East Africa. The Company operates across multiple healthcare verticals, including hospital operations, healthcare consultancy, pharmaceutical and consumables exports, and medical value travel.
Through the Unihealth–UMC Hospitals network, the Company combines Indian clinical expertise, global healthcare standards, and localized partnerships to create a scalable healthcare ecosystem serving diverse patient populations across emerging markets.
Driven by its mission of “Healthcare for All,” Unihealth continues to expand its healthcare footprint while creating long-term value for patients, communities, healthcare professionals, and shareholders.
The Company was listed on NSE Emerge in September 2023.
For FY26, the Company reported consolidated Total Income of ₹137.01 Cr, EBITDA of ₹58.82 Cr, and Net Profit attributable to the equity shareholders of the Company of ₹25.83 Cr.
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