Uganda celebrated its inaugural Emergency Medicine Day with a fresh and pressing appeal for greater financial support and advancement of the nation’s emergency healthcare infrastructure.
In collaboration with major partners, the Department of Health utilized this opportunity to underscore the ongoing deficiencies in emergency services, which still result in numerous fatalities nationwide.
At the event, Dr. John Baptist Waniaye, who serves as the Commissioner of Emergency Health Services at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the seriousness of the circumstances.
As Dr. John pointed out, we keep seeing elevated figures for fatalities resulting from injuries, vehicular collisions, communicable illnesses, and mental health emergencies.
Priority must be given to emergency medicine to guarantee a swift and competent response to critical situations.
The ceremony, headed by Minister of State for Health (General Duties) Hanifa Kawooya, gathered government representatives and collaborators to assess the nation’s advancements since the 2018 emergency care evaluation conducted by the World Health Organization.
Although progress has been made with more Type C ambulances appearing in certain urban locations, rural regions continue to face severe shortages. Numerous ambulances stationed in inland areas are still classified as Type A and often lack essential tools such as oxygen supplies, defibrillators, and skilled emergency staff.
Dr. Herbert Luswata, who serves as the President of the Uganda Medical Association, emphasized the severe shortage of diagnostic equipment.
"Despite being referral centers such as Mulago, many facilities frequently lack operational X-ray units, ultrasound devices, or CT scanners. As a result, individuals suffering from severe injuries must be transferred to different locations, wasting critical moments that might otherwise preserve life," observed Dr. Herbert. Luswata highlighted the importance of having adequate equipment along with a skilled and properly trained team dedicated to emergency medicine.
Irene Atuhairwe, the Country Director at Seed Global Health, voiced similar worries, emphasizing the importance of having more dispersed emergency medical services.
Atuhairwe stated that we need to train and allocate sufficient emergency personnel to ensure that people in Gulu or other isolated regions do not have to rely on assistance coming from Kampala.
She noted that about 70% of Uganda's emergency cases are trauma-related, and urban centers see many young people especially those aged 20 to 29 dying from road traffic accidents due to inadequate emergency response.
Even though emergency medicine training programs have been set up at Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology, numerous skilled experts remain outside the public healthcare system. Dr. Luswata urged for greater financial backing to hire and distribute emergency doctors across the country.
Stakeholders appealed to the public to assume responsibility during crises. They encouraged individuals not to record accident sites but rather to offer fundamental medical assistance and immediately reach out to emergency responders. The importance of enhanced public awareness, bolstered policy backing, and well-provisioned infrastructure was highlighted as crucial for improving Uganda’s emergency response framework.
As the nation marks this significant anniversary, the key takeaway is evident: Without prompt financial support and comprehensive restructuring, Uganda’s emergency care system will keep facing challenges and preventable deaths will persist.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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