Medical Student Hellen Asio is in her second year of school. After graduation she plans to return to server her rural community.
Medic Douglas with colleagues in Busitema, Uganda.
The six inaugural recipients of the scholarship.
Medical Scholarships Pave the Way for a Healthier Future in Rural Uganda
By: Lindsay Braud
The Comboni Missionaries’ West Nile Medical Students Scholarship Program addresses Uganda’s severe doctor shortage by empowering local students, like Hellen Stephanie Asio, to pursue medical careers. Led by Fr. John Baptist Opargiw, this initiative transforms healthcare access in underserved communities, fostering hope and a healthier future for the West Nile region.
Growing up in a rural area of Uganda, Hellen Stephanie Asio dreamed of becoming a doctor. She would play ‘hospital’ with the other children, and even care for family members when they were sick. Pretending to play doctor brought Hellen joy as a child, so much so that her parents bought her a toy medical kit.
“It started as one of those things children say, but as I grew older, it became more serious,” Hellen explained. Now, after studying hard in secondary school and performing well on her exams, Hellen is on her way to becoming a medical doctor.
At a cost of $2,000 per year, medical school was almost out of reach for Hellen. But thanks to the West Nile Medical Students Scholarship Program started by Comboni Missionary Fr. John Baptist Opargiw, she is now in her second year at university.
“The university I attend has a high tuition requirement, but thanks to this scholarship, I’ve been able to pursue my dream course. Coming from a large family, it would have been quite a burden on my parents to cover all our expenses,” Hellen said.
The scholarship program started six years ago when a student approached Fr. John Baptist asking for help with his tuition. This young man, Innocent Warom, was from the West Nile region of Uganda, a rural area of the country often overlooked by the government.
Warom was eager to finish his medical training so he could return home to care for his community. With a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:58,000, this region is in desperate need of doctors and nurses. [The West Nile region has a population of approximately 2.6 million people and an area that covers more than 11,000-square miles — roughly the size of Hawaii.]
Six years later, Innocent is now Dr. Warom and Medical Director at Holy Family Hospital in Nyapea. Through the support of the scholarship program, thirteen other students finished their degrees, and twenty more are in school.
This past fall, those fourteen students who completed their medical internships participated in a two-week medical clinic at Agiermach Health Center and Warr Health Center.
Services provided included medical screenings for various illnesses, nutrition assessment, health education, and minor surgical services.
“The medical camp is a way of giving back to the community… [through] creating awareness in the community of the increasing trend of the noncommunicable diseases and their prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, offering other medical and minor surgical services to the underserved community of Zombo District,” Fr. John Baptist said.
For Fr. John Baptist the scholarship program and medical camp are fulfilling St. Daniel Comboni’s desire to “save Africa with Africa.” Young people from the West Nile region are completing their studies then returning home to work.
Hellen still has three more years of school. But after graduation she has big aspirations.
“I plan to serve my community, most likely through voluntary work until I can secure employment. My goal is to focus on community health activities, particularly in preventive care and health promotion, so that my community can be a healthier one,” Hellen said.
Having another female doctor in the West Nile will be transformational for those small communities. Women are often the last to seek medical attention, for myriad reasons. A female doctor will remove one hurdle keeping women away. Young girls dreaming of becoming doctors will also have Hellen as inspiration.
If possible, Hellen would also like to further her education at some point, “if, by God’s grace, my scholarship allows me to continue my studies,” she said.
For the twenty students currently enrolled in the West Nile Medical Students Scholarship Program challenges remain. Pay remains low and irregular for medical professionals at government and private hospitals. And an internship program sponsored by the Ugandan government was greatly decreased this year, impacting two scholarship recipients.
“As you can see, things are not easy,” Fr. John Baptist explained. Despite these challenges, Fr. John Baptist sees hope as more and more students are applying to medical school with the promise to give back to their communities.
Lindsay Braud is senior communications specialist for the Comboni Missionaries, North American Province
For Fr. John Baptist, the deep roots of the West Nile Medical Students Program are firmly embedded in the life, work, and example of Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli, a Comboni Missionary who was beatified by Pope Francis in 2022.
“The West Nile Medical Students Program is indeed important to me because, having realized the dire need of the local people in the West Nile region of Northern Uganda in the field of health, I see this Program as a concrete way of responding to that need. Moreover, I am devoted to Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli, whom I knew personally and whose work as a doctor and surgeon, selfless dedication to the sick and injured, and passionate commitment to pregnant women and nursing mothers I continue to admire to this day.
“How I wish we could have hundreds of medical doctors of Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli’s caliber in West Nile! This is my dream, and I am happy to share this vision with everyone interested in contributing to the success of the program,” says Fr. John Baptist.
There are signs that Fr. John Baptist’s dream is already coming true: One of the program’s students, Dr. Joseph Ambrosoli Odok, is now in his second year of a three-year master’s degree in medicine and surgery.∎
An enduring inspiration for the West Nile region
In 1956, Fr. Giuseppe Ambrosoli (later known as Blessed Joseph) was assigned to Kalongo, Uganda, where he served as parish priest and managed a local dispensary. Originally founded in a grass hut in 1934 by Comboni Missionary Sister Eletta Mantiero, the dispensary quickly grew to serve the area’s medical needs, including childbirth care and pediatric services.
In 1957, Fr. Giuseppe began transforming the dispensary into a full-fledged hospital, which was a significant shift, particularly in his approach to treating leprosy patients. Rather than isolating them in a leprosarium, he admitted them alongside other patients, fostering dignity and inclusive care.
Today, the Kalongo Hospital, now named the Dr. Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital, is a 350-bed facility treating nearly 60,000 patients annually. Fr. Giuseppe’s achievements also include the founding of St. Mary’s School of Midwifery in 1959, which continues to contribute to healthcare in the region.
