About us
Our Roots
Doctor Andrew and Anne Wright are the Australian Founding Directors of Yotkom Uganda. They have drawn a significant sense of life direction, motivation, meaning and purpose from their personal experience of the Christian faith.
They have been challenged as followers of Jesus to respond to inequity and injustice and the needs of less fortunate neighbours in the global community.
In 2001, Andrew and Anne felt a specific call to establish a medical mission in the Kitgum District of Northern Uganda. They were shocked and saddened when they witnessed firsthand the atrocities of war, high levels of infectious disease and the impact of HIV/AIDs on children and families. A vision was birthed to bring change, by equipping and empowering more skilled and compassionate health workers and by planning the construction of a well-equipped and accessible medical facility.
Over several years, trusting relationships have been forged with health professionals and leaders in the African community. In Australia, many have come alongside to encourage and help. Andrew and Anne have discovered the power of partnering together in community to bring hope and healing into a suffering community.
YOTKOM is an ACHOLI word meaning
“HEALTH”.
Yotkom was registered as a Company in Uganda with the vision of partnering together to improve access and excellence of health care in Northern Uganda.
Our focus was on building close relationships, providing resources and ensuring self reliance.
Yotkom established a scholarship fund to provide training to gifted local students in health sciences.
We purchased land for the construction of a future health clinic where our bonded scholarship graduates could work in a well equipped facility, providing quality health care.
Yotkom worked alongside established health care facilities within the Kitgum district to equip and empower their medical service delivery. We provided funding to deploy much- needed medical staff into these centres and donated hospital equipment including X Ray, Ultrasound and ECG to improve diagnostic capacity.
Visiting Australian health professionals assisted with training and mentoring.
We assisted with health facility infrastructure sustainability grants such as solar power.
With donor funds raised in Australia, Yotkom was able to construct a primary health care building on land we had purchased and commence operating as an independently administered Medical Centre, employing 20 health and support workers.
The clinic had reception and waiting area, consulting rooms, a diagnostic wing (X Ray, Ultrasound and Laboratory ) a pharmacy and capacity for 10 short stay admission beds.
In recognition of the last 16 years responding to the needs in Northern Uganda,
Andrew and Anne received the honour of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to international relations and the health and well-being of the Acholi community.
Yotkom canteen opened to help provide meals for our employees in 2018.
The Yotkom Agricultural project for sustainability was created with the purchase of farm land, clearing and planting of trees and the construction of a small farm house.
A new building was opened adjacent to the original clinic, with two wings. One wing dedicated to maternal and child health with birthing suites and wards and a new operating theatre suitable for Caesarian Section.
The second wing providing 50 inpatient beds for children and adults as well as administration offices and a meeting room,
Yotkom endured the challenges of the COVID epidemic which severely disrupted life in Uganda and threatened the health of our team. Our medical facility was very well managed by the local leadership and continued to see over 20,000 outpatient attendances per year.
A Cold room mortuary was opened which met significant community needs and provided for the entire East Acholi region.
we were able to procure an Ambulance to assist with interhospital transfers and referrals as well as provide emergency access to Yotkom for the community.
We celebrated the 10 year anniversary of Yotkom operating as an independent health facility serving Northern Uganda.
It has been a period of amazing growth, with the hospital now employing 100 local people to provide a wide range of quality health services to over 20,000 patients per year.
We anticipate further growth and development as we strive to meet the significant health needs of the community we serve.
An additional Hospital building is under construction with an expected completion date in late 2026.
