UPDF medics saluted for tremendous job in treating Covid-19 patients

The Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, Dr. Byarugaba Baterana, has saluted UPDF medics for a job well done during the fight against the deadly Covid-19 virus.

He made the remarks on Monday as he relived critical UPDF doctors, nurses and other experts of the supports rendered at the hospital in the fight against Covid 19.

Out of the 23 Covid-19 patients admitted at Mulago, 21 have been discharged whereas the remaining two are to be discharged this week.

Speaking at the function, Baterana said the UPDF medics have been disciplined and exemplary in their work.

“Thank you for being disciplined and for helping us in fighting the pandemic. We have together reduced Covid-19 to the minimum, disabled it and actually defeated it with a heavy blow,” he said.

“You can now be baptized as Covid-19 defeaters  in this hospital and medals of victory await you.”

 

The head of Mulago 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 National Referral Hospital as a “Supreme Court of Medicine” where any medical challenge can be defeated.

Dr.Byarugaba called upon other countries to do a medical tourism to Mulago to learn more on how to defeat infectious diseases and other complications.

He however warned naysayers saying he has proved them wrong on the Covid-19 pandemic but also applauded President Museveni for building the UPDF into a professional army that can help in other fields apart from military.

“We are winning Covid-19 with minimal numbers because of the foresightedness of our president, congratulations to him and the entire country.”

Maj. Gen.Ambrose Musinguzi, the UPDF chief of Medical services said that it will always be the army’s institutional mandate to support the civil authority in case of any catastrophe and pandemics like Covid-19.

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 a foot in Uganda.

These, he said, 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 he said have better skills and have acquired more equipment to fight not only Covid 19 but any other infectious disease that may appear in future.

The UPDF chief promised that the team from Mulago and others in UPDF will now be sent out to assist District Task Forces in the fight against the pandemic.

According to Dr John Lusiba, the physician who headed the UPDF team at Mulago applauded the army leadership for an opportunity to serve the country.

“ 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,”Dr.Lusiba said.

“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 Covivd-19 than ever before.”

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 86 medics are part of the team sent by the UPDF after a request by the Ministry of Health to help fight the deadly virus.