US Donates advanced field hospital to UPDF

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US Donates advanced field hospital to UPDF
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The US government has donated a fully-equipped level II hospital to the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability (URDC) Headquarters in Jinja.

Receiving the facility, Commander of the URDC, Brig Gen Peter Gaetano Omola, expressed gratitude to the US government, attributing the gesture to the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations.

“It is a manifest that our strategic leaders between the two governments are working in harmony for our good,” he remarked.

This donation marks the second level II hospital the US has provided to the UPDF through the African Peace Keeping Rapid Response Partnership (APRRP) program, which began in 2016.

Brig Gen Omola highlighted that the first level II hospital, initially stationed in Bombo for COVID-19 response, is currently deployed in Mogadishu, supporting UPDF troops in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

The idea, he explained, is for the UPDF to have two level II hospitals: one for training and another for emergency deployments.

Brig Gen Dr Kiyengo, representing Joint Staff Health Services, emphasised the hospital’s advanced equipment for diagnosing and treating patients in areas such as dental, radiology, surgery, X-ray, and eye care.

Dr Joe Bibling, Head of the American experts and manufacturers behind the donation and an Associate Professor in Military and Emergency Medicine at the US Military Medical School, affirmed the program’s purpose to enhance UPDF’s ability to respond to crises across Africa, from natural disasters to peacekeeping.

He noted that a level II UN field hospital provides surgical services, an intensive care unit, and general outpatient care, among others.

Uganda, was chosen for the donation due to its role as a peacekeeping pillar on the African continent, also received a water treatment plant and incinerator alongside the hospital.

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