The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has expressed sadness at the arrest of the Mulago Hospital executive director, Dr Byaruhanga Baterana, saying he was arrested basing on unproven grounds. 

"We are deeply saddened by the arrest of our very own the director of Mulago National Referral Hospital by the health monitoring unit on unproven grounds of misappropriation of funds without a fair hearing," UMA said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement was signed by the association president, Dr Samuel Oledo Odongo. 

As the medical association, Odongo noted, an attack of one of them is an attack on all of them, adding that the association shall follow up this case to the latter. 

"It’s upon that background that UMA shall have a presser tomorrow at 3:00 pm at Jinja Road Police Station where Dr BB (Baterana) has been held for the night on unclear charges," the UMA statement said. 

Irrespective of what Baterana has done, UMA said appropriate measures must be taken for a fair hearing. 

Dr Baterana was arrested by State House’s Health Monitoring Unit of over alleged misappropriation of funds at Mulago among other issues. 

The unit’s head, Dr Warren Namara, confirmed Baterana's arrest, saying he had been taken to the unit headquarters in Nakasero to record a statement.