Mulago Hospital boss, Dr Byarugaba (in blue Shirt )speaks to UPDF Medics
Mulago National Referral Hospital Executive Director, Dr Byarugaba Baterana has applauded the critical support Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Doctors, Nurses and other experts have rendered to the hospital in the fight against COVID- 19.
This comes as a result of the joint effort of medical teams from Mulago National Referral Hospital, Makerere University, Infectious Disease Control Centre and UPDF successfully disabling the pandemic.
Dr Byarugaba made the remarks today April27, 2020 while seeing off the doctors after a job well done.
The UPDF doctors who were requested by The Ministry of Health were dispatched to different hospitals to support the medical team from 25th March 2020.
The additional boost from other security forces like police, prisons, among others put the total number from security agencies to 240 personnel.
According to the Ministry of Health, out of the twenty three (23) COVID- 19 patients admitted at Mulago Hospital, 21 have since been discharged while only two (2) remain admitted at the facility. According to Dr Byarugaba,the two will be discharged as soon as tomorrow.
Dr Byarugaba applauded the UPDF medical team for working tirelessly with Mulago hospital to disable Covid 19.
“Thank you for being disciplined and for fighting the pandemic. We have together reduced COVID- 19 to the minimum, disabled it and actually defeated it with a heavy blow. You can now be baptized as ‘COVID 19 defeaters’ in this hospital and medals of victory awaits you,” Dr Byarugaba said.
He requested that UPDF head of medical services should consider deploying the team in other critical centres of the National Referral hospital like Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neurology, climatology and others so that they can further their experience that they have acquired.
He referred to Mulago Hospital as a “Supreme Court of Medicine” where any medical challenge can be defeated.
Byarugaba also called upon other countries to do a medical tourism to Mulago to learn more on how to defeat infectious diseases and other complications.
Maj General Dr Ambrose Musinguzi, The UPDF Chief of Medical services, while receiving the UPDF team at Mulago Specialized Hospital Gates, reminded Ugandans that, it is UPDF’s constitutional mandate to support the civil authority in case of any catastrophe, and COVID-19 pandemic is one of such.
He commended the foresightedness of the UPDF leadership for training the initial 86 UPDF medics and later sensitizing the strategic leadership on the fight against COVID-19 way back before the disease set foot in Uganda. These would later turn into critical staff at different hospitals fighting the pandemic.
On scaling down of UPDF Medics, Dr Musinguzi said that a skeleton of medical staff and security especially in areas of hygiene will be left at Mulago to assist.
He thanked Mulago’s Dr Shade, a hygiene specialist for re-training the UPDF Hygienists who now have better skills to fight not only COVID-19, but any other infectious diseases that may appear in future.
Dr John Lusiba, the UPDF Physician, who headed the UPDF team at Mulago in his remarks, thanked the UPDF, the Ministry of Health and Mulago leadership for giving the UPDF medics an opportunity to serve in the fight against COVID-19.
“ It has not only been an opportunity to serve, but also a time to share experiences and learn from the most senior specialists that Uganda has at Mulago and from Makerere University. We learnt but also built civil military relations which are a strong pillar of the institution of UPDF. We are more than ready to fight COVID-19 than ever before,” Dr Lusiba promised.
He noted that all services of UPDF are represented on the medical team hence giving an opportunity of spreading the expertise across the country.
The function was attended by among others; the Principle Hospital Administrator Mr David Nuwamanya, UPDF Brig Dr James Kiyengo, ICU Specialist Dr Capt Timothy Muyimbo and general staff of Mulago National referral hospital among others.
By Drake Nyamugabwa
