The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Dr. Samuel Steven Kaziimba Mugalu, has praised the management and staff of Joint Medical Store (JMS) for their innovativeness, which has enabled the organization to prevail and progress even during the challenging times. 

Kaziimba paid greater tribute to JMS for promoting the Church’s medical ministry with utmost dedication and commitment.

He made his thanksgiving remarks during the visit of the Anglican Prelates to the head office of the Joint Medical Store at Nsambya, in Makindye Division.

Joint Medical Store is a faith-based, private, not-for-profit non-governmental organization, which engages in the import, export and wholesale of medicines and related health supplies. 

It was founded in 1979 by the Catholics Bishops (through the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau) and the Anglican Bishops (through the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau). 

The bishops were responding to the challenge of the acute scarcity of drugs. 

Kaziimba particularly praised the JMS planners for their strategic vision, which has enabled the organization to modernize and expand its scope of service.

“We the Bishops of the Church of Uganda, and our brothers of the Roman Catholic Church, greatly appreciate the creativity and entrepreneurial vision of the Board, management and staff of Joint Medical Store. Just a few years ago, you started an affiliate business arm, Joint Health Care Investment, to ensure self-reliance and sustainability. As a result of your vision, we now have the immune booster supplement, Replenish Plus, which we enjoy using. And this year, you have built a hi-tech medical oxygen plant, Oxylife, which will be producing uncontaminated, low-cost medical oxygen,” Kaziimba said.

During their visit, the bishops were taken through a guided tour of the organisation’s state of the art warehouse, during which they were briefed about its operating systems. 

The prelates were shown how the medical equipment and medicines are stored without being subjected to any adulteration.

They were also shown how orders are received, processed, dispatched and delivered through a robust and transparent coordinated system that ensures maximum professionalism, efficiency and accountability.

The Executive Director of JMStore, Dr. Bildard Baguma, informed the Bishops that the US$1.5m (about sh5.5b) medical gases manufacturing facility will start manufacturing medical gas in July, this year (2022).

The facility’s Director, Technical, Engineer Rubango said the facility will manufacture uncontaminated, low-price medical oxygen.

“The plant has been installed with very high, modern and sophisticated technology, which guarantees high-quality medical oxygen production. The oxygen that will be produced here will be 100% oil-free. It will be 100% safe, and pure without any residue. The facility will have four plants, each producing 30 cylinders a day, which means that every day, 120 cylinders of medical oxygen will be manufactured,” Rubango said.

Engineer Rubango also said that the plant has been installed in such a way that nothing will interrupt its operations. So, production will be continuous and uninterrupted.

Engineer Samuel Kasirye complimented his colleague Rubango.

“The job of Oxylife is to manufacture medical oxygen and deliver it to Joint Medical Store, which will subsequently supply it accordingly. The oxygen produced here will not be adulterated in any way,” said Kasirye.