UPDF deploys military doctors at Public Hospital

UPDF spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire. Photo/File

MEDICS|HEALTH

Government has deployed military doctors to Mulago, Kawempe and Kirundu to handle the hundreds of emergency cases at these hospitals.

In an interview with New Vision, Brig. Richard Karemire, the Ministry of Defence spokesperson said that it is their constitutional obligation to provide social services.

"We deployed at various hospitals as a stop gap measure to emergencies on Wednesday.  It's in our mandate as UPDF to provide social services in any emergency when called upon, we are only providing medical support not supplies," noted Karemire.

And in a fresh twist, Dr Ekwaro Obuku, the Uganda Medical Association president, in a press release, urged the medics on duty to work alongside the soldiers:

"We are going to continue talking until we yield results, we are calling upon intern doctors and those on duty to give direction and support to UPDF doctors in handling emergencies," reads a statement signed by Obuku .

Striking medics have welcomed military doctors from the UPDF, Police and Uganda Prisons who were deployed yesterday at Mulago National Referral Hospital to handle emergency cases as doctors' strike enters second week.