The Bishop of Soroti, Kosea Odongo, has visited the Royal Bournemouth Hospital as part of a visit to the University Hospitals Dorset chaplaincy team.
Bishop Kosea, who leads the Anglican diocese in Soroti, Uganda, was joined by his wife Grace for a tour of the Chaplaincy Centre’s new multi-faith space at the start of July.
The Bishop’s visit marked his first time in an NHS acute hospital. He said he was particularly interested to learn about chaplaincy provision in the UK and appreciated the warm welcome from hospital staff.
He also met staff during a walkabout at the hospital and reflected on the similarities between spiritual support offered to patients in Bournemouth and those at the Soroti Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda.
James Taylor, Lead Chaplain at UHD, coordinated the visit. He said Bishop Kosea spoke about the value of inclusion, noting that their new chapel space in Soroti welcomes people from different faiths and backgrounds.
Discussions also touched on the challenges faced by Ugandan hospitals, including funding inequalities and the long-lasting impact of past conflict.
The Chaplaincy Team said they hope to visit Soroti in the future to continue the exchange.