By Gideon Rukundo Rugari
It’s nearly five months of an unforgiving COVID19 induced global blockade. There has not been much of any kind of bargaining even for the sick to go for treatment, infact everything to do with a patients has caused more consternation amongst epidemiologists than emergency care by clinicians around the world. It therefore goes without saying that, for a Ugandan who wished to have medical services in UK, the US, Germany, France, South Africa are either waiting or are being treated by Ugandan doctors. The unfortunate ones could even have passed on.
A few years back in 2016, President Yoweri Museveni wanted to know young Doctors with clinical post graduate degrees in Uganda who were enthusiastic about training in super specialized disciplines. In what turned out to be a historic policy coup, (No other President ever spent such money on a group of young doctors) President Museveni sent for training about 40 doctors to study in varied super specialized disciplines.
Today, these medics who are all back in the country are doing wonders especially those at Mulago Hospital. A number of procedures that we used to know from textbooks are being conducted on the daily. Suddenly, if there was enough trust amongst the Ugandan population for the doctors in Uganda, I’m sure that international referrals could end for good by 2025.
For now, Ugandans who may be waiting for when borders will open to allow travel, should first check with Mulago Hospital. Many new procedures are part of the every day operating theatre schedule. With lower Mulago Hospital opening soon, one of Uganda’s advanced sectors is likely to be Secondary and tertiary care.
If there should be another catastrophe blockading the world in the future, Ugandan patients should have learned to trust Ugandan Doctors and advanced services whether private or public should be able to cater for all Ugandans no matter the condition they are suffering from.
I have not been a do nothing observer in all the humble but significant advancement especially at Mulago Hospital. While medics are busy building new specialities, I’m made happy by what everyone is doing in the area of advanced surgeries, Emergency Care, Diagnostics, Organ Transplantation, Cancer Treatment, Minimum Access Surgery, Bariatric Surgery and many others. I’m happy that I’m involved in this renaissance.
I dont like to photograph myself but did it in this case & was able to capture the frantic activities of the Anaethesiology team as I waited to do a Laparoscopic procedure.