By Kabuye Ronald
President Yoweri Museveni has officially appointed senior consultant surgeon Dr. Charles Olaro as the new Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Olaro had been serving in an acting capacity since November 2024, following the redeployment of his predecessor, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, to lead the Health Service Commission. His permanent appointment was confirmed on Thursday morning through a statement issued by the Ministry of Health.
“Congratulations, Dr. Charles Olaro, upon your appointment as Director General Health Services,” the ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Before stepping into the top health leadership role, Dr. Olaro served as Director of Clinical Services. He played a pivotal role during Uganda’s COVID-19 response, particularly in coordinating curative services under immense pressure on the health system.
A graduate of Makerere University, Dr. Olaro holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (1994), a Master’s in Surgery (1999), along with postgraduate qualifications in Health Services Management and an MBA from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI).
His extensive medical leadership experience includes time as a consultant surgeon and medical superintendent at Arua Regional Referral Hospital from 2001 to 2008. He later became Director of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, where he implemented measures to reduce staff absenteeism, improve hygiene, and strengthen ties with local government bodies.
Dr. Olaro now assumes the technical leadership of Uganda’s health sector at a critical time, as the country continues to confront challenges such as workforce shortages, infrastructure limitations, and an evolving disease landscape in the face of a rapidly growing population.
1 comment
To deal with criminals you must be highly trained in offensive combat techniques yet here in Uganda you are training our Police men and women simple self defense so my question is do you really want the crime to end? And again why do you arrest criminals instead of Eliminating them. As for me I hate crime and if you commit it against me you are gone period.