The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Vincent Ssempijja has hailed the UPDF for the good job done after being informed that the army surgeons have performed 40 surgeries in four days in Mbale.
On Thursday, Ssempijja visited Bufumbo Health Centre iv in Mbale city to inspect the medical camp being run by UPDF and interact with the medical staff and the locals as part of the ongoing Tarehe Sita activities.
The minister was informed that the UPDF medical team working hand in hand with the medical staff of Bufumbo Health Centre iv have treated 850 people and performed over 40 surgeries both minor and major including hernias, goiter, caesarean section and hysterectomy among others.
He applauded the UPDF for such a noble job in treating locals which he said is also symbolic of a people’s army.
“This is very important in terms of our history and our history in the NRA revolution. These are the areas where our leader General Yoweri Museveni and others started the revolution. we are happy to see that when the UPDF came and the people turned up in big numbers.”
Capt Dr. Margaret Nansubuga who is the head of the nine-member UPDF team of surgeons that were sent to Bufumbo health centre iv said the minister’s visit will motivate them to worker harder.
The UPDF is currently involved in long symbolic civil-military activities to mark the 41th Tarehe Sita anniversary which will climax on Saturday with main celebrations to be held in Mbale and will be presided over by President Yoweri Museveni.
Celebrated on February 6 every year, Tarehe Sita is when 40 combatants on February,6, 1981 took to the Luweero bushes by attacking Kabamba military barracks on this exact date to launch an epic five-year struggle that ushered the National Resistance Movement into power.
The attack on Kabamba led to the formation of the National Resistance Army which later metamorphosed into the current army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
Tarehe Sita is therefore meant to celebrate the creation of the UPDF.
