Neurosurgery in India for Patients from Gulu, Northern Uganda

Gulu is the largest city in northern Uganda and the commercial and administrative centre of the Acholi sub-region. Gulu Regional Referral Hospital provides healthcare to a wide catchment area, but neurosurgery — brain tumour resection, complex spine surgery, stereotactic procedures — is not available here at a meaningful level.

For patients in Gulu who receive a neurological diagnosis requiring surgery, the route runs through Kampala and, for cases beyond what Mulago can handle, abroad. India is the most accessible high-quality destination for neurosurgery. And from Gulu, reaching Entebbe Airport for the Delhi-bound flight — via Ethiopian Airlines through Addis Ababa — takes roughly twelve to fourteen hours total travel time including the road journey to Entebbe.

Neurosurgery in Prime Medical's Network

Dr. Sudheer Kumar Tyagi at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi is Prime Medical's neurosciences specialist for Delhi-based cases. Apollo Hospital New Delhi is JCI and NABH accredited. Dr. Tyagi handles brain tumour surgery, complex spine cases, and other neurological conditions requiring surgical intervention. For Gulu patients whose case is best managed in Delhi, Dr. Tyagi is the specialist Prime Medical coordinates with.

Dr. Deepu Banerji at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai is Prime Medical's neurosciences specialist for Mumbai-based cases. Jaslok is NABH accredited and handles complex spine and brain cases. For patients who access India via a Mumbai routing, Dr. Banerji's team at Jaslok is available.

Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurugram — JCI, NABH, NABL — has a strong neurosurgery and spine surgery programme for cases requiring the Delhi NCR region. Artemis Hospital, Gurugram — JCI, NABH — also covers neurosciences in Gurugram for Prime Medical patients.

Conditions Treated

Brain tumours — gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, acoustic neuromas, skull base tumours, metastatic brain disease. Combined surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy management. For brain tumours requiring precision radiation, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai — with Dr. Rakesh Jalali and Dr. Sapna Nangia — provides proton therapy that is specifically advantageous for brain tumours near critical structures.

Complex spine surgery — disc herniations with neurological deficit, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, cervical disc disease, spinal cord compression, and scoliosis. Minimally invasive and robotic spine surgery available at Fortis FMRI and Artemis.

Hydrocephalus — CSF diversion (VP shunt, endoscopic third ventriculostomy). Relevant for paediatric cases from northern Uganda.

Cerebrovascular conditions — aneurysms, AVMs, carotid disease.

Deep brain stimulation — for Parkinson's disease. Available at Apollo Delhi.

Getting from Gulu to Surgery in India

Gulu to Kampala: approximately four to five hours by road. Kampala to Entebbe International Airport: approximately 40 kilometres. Ethiopian Airlines connects Entebbe to Addis Ababa and from there direct to Delhi — total international flight time approximately ten to twelve hours.

Share your MRI or CT scans, any biopsy results, and a description of symptoms with Prime Medical Solutions. Within 48 hours, Dr. Sudheer Kumar Tyagi (Delhi) or Dr. Deepu Banerji (Mumbai) reviews the case and provides a written opinion.

Indian e-medical visa for Ugandan nationals: three to five working days. Prime Medical provides the appointment letter. One companion can accompany the patient.

Hospital stay: five to seven days for brain tumour surgery. Two to three weeks post-discharge in India for monitoring. Total time: three to five weeks.

To book a consultation, call the number on our website.

What Gulu Patients Ask

1. The nearest decent hospital is Mulago in Kampala. Should I go there first before India?

For an initial assessment and MRI, yes — Mulago or a private facility in Kampala can do the imaging. But for complex neurosurgery specifically, India's capability significantly exceeds what Mulago can offer for brain tumours, complex spine reconstruction, or stereotactic procedures. Prime Medical can review your Kampala investigation results and advise on whether India-level care is needed.

2. Is there a way to get a specialist opinion from India without travelling first?

Yes. This is exactly the remote opinion process — share MRI and clinical details, receive Dr. Tyagi's or Dr. Banerji's written opinion within 48 hours. No travel required for this step. It confirms whether surgery is needed, what type, and what the expected outcome is before any travel is arranged.

3. My family member has a brain tumour and we are in Gulu. How do we start?

Contact Prime Medical Solutions with the MRI report and a description of current symptoms. That is the starting point. Everything else — specialist review, hospital recommendation, visa, travel coordination — follows from that first step.