Uganda’s Parliament has taken a step towards introducing a new law aimed at strengthening healthcare quality and protecting patients across public and private medical facilities.

On October 14, 2026, Parliament announced that Bukuya County MP Dr Michael Bukenya had been granted leave to introduce the proposed Quality Health Care and Patient Safety Bill, 2026.

The proposed legislation seeks to establish clearer and more consistent standards for registering and regulating health facilities across the country.

Dr Bukenya argued that Uganda’s existing legal framework distributes oversight responsibilities among several professional councils and public health laws, leaving gaps in the consistent regulation of healthcare quality and patient safety.

The proposed bill is intended to address these gaps by providing a more comprehensive framework covering government facilities, private-not-for-profit institutions and privately operated healthcare providers.

If introduced and subsequently passed, the legislation could influence how health facilities are registered, monitored and held accountable for the quality of services they provide.

The proposal could become an important development for patients and healthcare providers alike, particularly as demand for reliable medical services continues to grow. Clearer standards may help strengthen accountability, although the eventual impact will depend on the law’s final provisions, enforcement arrangements and available regulatory resources.

The proposal is not yet an enacted law. Parliament must continue the legislative process before any new requirements can take effect.

Patients, medical professionals and healthcare operators will be watching the next stages closely to see how the proposed reforms could change Uganda’s healthcare regulatory system.