A first mission to Uganda was initiated by Interplast Germany in 1989. At the time Interplast Germany had not enough volunteers available and during a conference operating theatre assistant Marie-Therese de Bakker was asked if she could organize a Dutch team of plastic surgeons for this mission.

After the successful first mission, led by plastic surgeon Rein Zeeman, Interplast in the Netherlands was officially founded in 1990. Interplast Holland started by annually sending teams to Uganda. Besides operating children and (young) adults with cleft lips, burns injuries and other mutilations the teams also trained local hospital staff in the techniques of reconstructive plastic surgery. To date this has proved effective and successful. To retain the continuity in the training programme Interplast Holland increased the number of team missions from one to two each year.

In 1998 Interplast Uganda was set up as local sister organisation. This was a way of organising the missions more efficiently and making preparations for founding a burns centre.
Since the first Interplast Holland mission more than 2600 patients have been operated in cooperation with local surgeons and nursing staff.

BURNS CENTRE
Over the years Interplast teams saw many children who were mutilated as result of negligence or incorrect treatment of burns. Early treatment, but above all prevention of burns, seems absolutely crucial. For this reason and after a lengthy period of negotiation and planning, Interplast Holland in conjunction with Interplast Uganda, decided to set up a burns centre in the Mulago University Hospital in Kampala.
In 2003 the Uganda Burns & Plastic Surgery Institute (UBPSI) was officially founded as a public-private initiative between the Mulago University Hospital, the Ministry of Health, Makerere University, Interplast Uganda and Interplast Holland.
The centre and the first department were officially opened after thorough restoration work in late 2004, by the First Lady of Uganda, Mrs Janet Museveni. In 2007 the last ward with 20 beds was completed and became operational. The centre is now finished and fully operational.
More information can be found in the UBPSI brochure, which you can download at the bottom of this page.

“Victims of War in Northern Uganda”
The rebel war that has been raging for 20 years in the north of Uganda has claimed many victims. The rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) cut off their victims’ noses, lips, ears and other body parts. During Interplast Holland missions these victims were seen sporadically and operated on.
In 2005 how ever Interplast Holland began cooperating with M.S.F. Holland (the Dutch Doctors without Borders) so as to reach and operate as many victims as possible.
Together with M.S.F. Holland Interplast travelled to Kitgum and Gulu to carry out reconstructive surgery. Late 2007 the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court (ICC) approached Interplast with a request to cooperate and a short mission took place to Gulu in the north of Uganda.
In November 2008 another mission is due to go to Gulu.