Ministry of health launches pediatric surgical services plan
The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, said the plan will strengthen pediatric care through training of more nurses and surgeons and constructing 10 theaters in regional referral hospitals.
Ministry of Health has launched a pediatric surgical services plan to ensure access to timely, safe and affordable surgical care for children as it is key in achieving universal health care coverage.
The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, said the plan will strengthen pediatric care through training of more nurses and surgeons and constructing 10 theaters in regional referral hospitals.
The pediatric surgical services plan is funded by Kids Operating Room, a UK based organization.
“The pediatric surgical services plan will ease access to timely, safe and affordable surgical care for children across the country thus enhancing universal health care coverage,” she noted
Atwine highlighted that training of more pediatric surgeons will increase the number as there are only 7 in the whole country yet the demand is high.
For example Mulago hospital conducts 20-30 surgeries a week which calls for more specialists.
In January this year, Makerere University and Mulago hospital pooled resources that saw 48 children receive surgery that they could otherwise, not have received under normal circumstances.
At the same event, Food for the Hungry has donate 4.5 million doses of deformers worth 601 million Uganda shillings to improve fight against worm-related diseases among children .
The doses contribute 20% of the national need for the upcoming child health care days in April 2023.
Apart from children, the ministry has advised adults to carryout deworming after every 6 months to prevent diseases like anemia.
The paediatric surgical services plan is a 5 year plan funded by government of Uganda in partnership with Kids Operating Room, a UK based organization.
