Kikaya Medical Center
Healthcare built around the community
A clinic, and a platform
Kikaya Medical Center provides day-to-day healthcare for the surrounding lakeshore communities. It also works as a platform for prevention, health education and the professional development of the Ugandan team that runs it.
2019/2020
WorldProject begins taking a larger role in healthcare activities in Kikaya.
2020
Construction of the new medical centre begins.
2021
Second floor, laboratory, training spaces and additional infrastructure developed.
2022
Kikaya Medical Center becomes fully operational.
- Current project
Today → continued development
See the project
Kikaya in action
A closer look at WorldProject's work in Uganda and the community behind Kikaya Medical Center.
Playing this video will load content from YouTube, which may use cookies or other third-party technologies.
Kikaya Medical Center
Healthcare services
- General Medicine
- Maternity
- Dental Clinic
- Ophthalmology
- Physiotherapy
- Laboratory
- Pharmacy
- Immunisation
Training, simulation & innovation
UCAM + Kikaya: technology and knowledge supporting local capacity
The collaboration with the Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) has accompanied the development of Kikaya Medical Center for several years, particularly in clinical training, emergency care, simulation and new educational tools.
The aim is not to replace the local team, but to strengthen its capacity through hands-on training, professional support and technologies that make it possible to rehearse clinical situations both inside and outside Uganda.
Academic collaboration
Manuel Pardo, full professor at UCAM and head of simulation at WorldProject, has led much of this training collaboration across different expeditions and projects.
Emergency care
Emergency medicine, ECG, ultrasound and the ambulance.
Clinical simulation
Hands-on training and CPR.
Virtual reality & 360°
VR, a 360° camera and a visual digital twin of the centre.
Specialist training
Dentistry and visiting professionals.
2021 — Emergency care, simulation and getting the ambulance running
In 2021 one of the first major clinical training programmes linked to the new Kikaya Medical Center took place. A team of professionals experienced in emergency care worked alongside the local health staff in areas such as emergency medicine, basic ECG interpretation, ultrasound and the management of complex clinical situations.
The collaboration was also key to preparing and bringing the centre's ambulance into service, equipping it with materials and working on its use in real situations. Before the expedition ended, the first real patient transfer to a referral hospital was carried out, supervised by Manuel Pardo.
Learning before facing a real emergency
Clinical simulation has become an important tool within the collaboration. It allows the team to practise procedures, rehearse emergency responses and consolidate knowledge in a controlled environment before applying it in real situations.
Training areas covered and tools available
- CPR
- Emergency care
- ECG
- Ultrasound
- Initial stabilisation
- Use of medical equipment
2024 — From in-person training to virtual environments
In 2024, Manuel Pardo returned to Kikaya Medical Center to keep strengthening the team's training, particularly in the use and interpretation of the electrocardiogram.
During that stay the whole centre was also mapped using 360° technology, creating a digital representation of Kikaya Medical Center that makes it possible to walk through its spaces virtually. WorldProject has a 360° camera used to digitise spaces, document the centre, create virtual environments and prepare training activities.
Kikaya Medical Center — also accessible virtually
Digitising the centre provides a visual digital twin — a 360° virtual representation of the facilities — that can be used for orientation and preparation before working on the ground. It does not integrate real-time clinical data: it helps people get to know the clinic, understand how the spaces are laid out and prepare training and simulation scenarios better.
Virtual reality applied to training
The collaboration with UCAM has made it possible to bring virtual reality tools into training activities at Kikaya. WorldProject has VR headsets — donated with UCAM's support — that can be used together with simulators and educational content to create more immersive learning experiences.
2025 — Preparing a community CPR programme
In 2025 we took a further step by bringing these tools into the development of a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training programme. In this first phase, the Kikaya Medical Center team itself began training with a CPR manikin and virtual reality headsets.
The aim is for the knowledge not to stay inside the clinic alone. The programme is designed to gradually extend training into the community, teaching basic CPR manoeuvres through accessible, practical tools.
From shared knowledge to local leadership
UCAM + WorldProject
Technology, support, simulation and shared knowledge.
Arthur and the Kikaya team
Arthur, a doctor at Kikaya Medical Center, leads the local coordination of the community CPR programme: adaptation, coordination and future local implementation.
Specialist training in dentistry
The collaboration with UCAM has also extended to other clinical areas. In 2024, Artiom Lijnev, a lecturer in dentistry at UCAM, spent two weeks working alongside the dental team at Kikaya Medical Center.
During his stay he worked closely with Simon, helping to review how the service is organised, introduce new working protocols and improve the dental clinic's reporting systems. He also took part in health education activities in local schools.
Specialist knowledge when it is needed
The university collaboration makes it possible to bring in professionals and lecturers experienced in specific areas whenever the team identifies a training need.
- Emergency medicine
- ECG
- Ultrasound
- Simulation
- Dentistry
- Health education
Training, simulation & innovation
A continuing collaboration
2021
Emergency training and ambulance setup.
2022
Continued clinical training.
2024
ECG reinforcement, 360° virtual mapping and dentistry training.
2025
CPR simulator and virtual reality training.
Today
Continuous training and simulation.
Training so knowledge stays
Technology only makes sense if it helps people work better. From bringing the ambulance into service to clinical simulation, virtual reality and CPR training, the collaboration with UCAM aims to strengthen the Kikaya team's capacity so that more and more knowledge stays within the centre itself.
January–December 2025
2025 in numbers
WorldProject Activity Data — January–December 2025
Beyond the clinic
Much of the centre's work happens outside the consultation room, in prevention and community health.
Community health education
Regular sessions held with community groups.
Local radio
Health talks and public health alerts on community radio.
Educational videos
Health education videos produced by the clinical team.
Prevention campaigns
Targeted campaigns on locally relevant health risks.
Infection prevention
Ebola preparedness and infection prevention protocols.
CPR training
Basic life support training for staff and community members.
Water safety
Water quality studies and safe water initiatives.
Professional training
Clinical training placements and internal teaching.
Local capacity
Members of the Ugandan healthcare team increasingly organise and deliver their own training sessions.
- Continuous professional education
- Clinical training
- Internal teaching between departments
- Professional qualifications
- Local leadership of services
Medical centre expansion
Improvements implemented and developed around 2025 to increase capacity and comfort for patients and staff.
- Improved waiting area
- Triage area
- Two additional consultation rooms
- Rest / overnight areas
- Storage area