International Medical Group: Investments in the Healthcare Sector in Uganda

Dr Ian Clarke, Owner and CEO of International Medical Group and Clarke Group, shares his assessment of the healthcare sector in Uganda and discusses investments in this area. He also gives an overview of International Medical Group, a group of health service companies he established in the country in 1996.

“I am a medical doctor and I have been involved in the healthcare sector now for over 30 years. During that period of time, I have seen the demographics of Uganda really change. When I first came here, there was 12 or 15 million people and now there is 41 million. You can see that there is plenty of need. There is plenty of pathology. There is a lot to do. We have an open country in terms of investment. The government really encourages foreign direct investment. It is free and you can bring in money and take money out. There are quite a few investors now in the healthcare sector. But, at the same time, you have to be cognizant that a lot of those 41 million people are poor. If you find a way to get down to the bottom of the pyramid, then you have a lot of people to deal with. If you stay only at the top, then it may be a lot more competitive. Many people in Uganda go out to India and out of the country if they can afford it. Building up the services at the top end is also good. I have heard investors tell me about any sector in Uganda that it is a very friendly country to invest in. We may not be top of the league in terms of ease of investment, but it is not a difficult country to work in”, says Dr Ian Clarke.

“I set up International Medical Group about 20 years ago and grew it organically. I grew three parts of the Group: the hospital with curative services, secondary, and tertiary care; 17 primary care clinics; and a medical insurance or HMO company with about 65,000 members. The advantage there is holistic. You can bring your clients through the insurance and other insurances. You have a good network of primary care which you can repeat where you see there is a need in a town or area and you can set up another center. There is still room for improvement and growth in bringing more higher level services as far as the International Hospital is concerned. I sold the majority about five years ago and stay on the Chair as a minority shareholder”, he adds.

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