The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has applauded doctors from India for bringing medical services closer to Ugandans.
A team of doctors from India under Rotary International Medical Mission met Kadaga in Parliament on Tuesday, 25 June 2019 following a successful medical camp in Kampala.
According to Kadaga, such interventions make a difference in communities where majority cannot afford medical services.
“A lot of our people do not have access to medical care but when such opportunities are available, they benefit,” said Kadaga.
The medical mission consisted of plastic surgeons, obstetrics and gynecologists, general surgeons, eye and dental surgeons, anesthetics, among others.
She asked the doctors to visit eastern Uganda saying that the region has one of the highest percentages of the population with eye related complications.
Dr. Jogesh Gambhir, the Project Coordinator of Rotary Medical Mission in India commended Ugandan hospitals, saying that they are well equipped with modern machines.
“We have been to Mulago, Naguru and Victoria hospitals and we found the equipment. There are laparoscopic surgery trollies and this surgery is now the order of the day, but these are not used in these hospitals as often as they should be,” said Gambhir.
He however, noted the need for Uganda doctors to attain the necessary training to enable them use the equipment and perform successful surgeries.
“We are willing to receive the doctors in India and train them. All they have to do is meet the cost of their air tickets. We shall provide accommodation and feeding,” said Gambhir.
He noted that the biggest challenge Uganda faces is the cost of treatment, which can be solved by use of modern equipment, coupled with well-trained doctors.
“India is also a very populous country. We have millions of patients and we have to treat them at a very low rate. In the last 25 years, we have developed wonderful technologies and many countries have come to our country to learn,” said Gambhir.
The doctors, who held a week-long medical camp in Kampala, provided screening services for thousands and performed over 500 surgeries.
