Entebbe General Hospital administration was on Thursday grateful to receive a Land Cruise Prado from the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MRC/UVRI&LSHTM) which will help them in their community health outreach programs in Entebbe and it’s surrounding areas.
Speaking at the handover of the vehicle, Dr. Muwanga Moses, the Entebbe General Hospital Medical Superintendent thanked the Medical Research Council for the donation and added that the vehicle will be assisting in the community especially carrying out the research projects and community health programs.
The vehicle will be assisting in the community especially carrying out the research projects and community health programs. We move out in the community, visit people, educate them and collect samples from them; therefore the vehicle will be relevant in our work. We (Entebbe Hospital) have been collaborating with MRC/UVRI&LSHTM for quite so many years especially in the area of research. We are happy that the collaboration has grown bigger and initially it has been in the field of improving clinical studies, Laboratory services and our research projects, it has also expanded to improving of the infrastructure’, revealed Dr. Muwanga.
Dr. Muwanga added;
MRC/UVRI&LSHTM donated computers and trained the hospital staff in Information Technology skills, MRC/UVRI&LSHTM has also improved Entebbe Hospital’s Laboratory services, maternity and Labour wards. 10 years ago, the MRC/UVRI&LSHTM also donated an incinerator to help in waste management. The biggest area of our collaboration is in quality control; our Laboratory has been doing a lot of quality control sample study with the MRC/UVRI&LSHTM. Our Laboratory is undergoing accreditation and we are sure by the end of the financial year it will be accredited. As a hospital, we’ve a small budget to ensure that the vehicle is maintained and serves the intended objectives.
Entebbe Municipal Council Assistant Town Clerk Dan Fred Lutaaya who represented Entebbe Municipal Council thanked MRC/UVRI&LSHTM for the offer of the vehicle which has been tagged as a community outreach vehicle.
“The vehicle has been donated in good working condition and Entebbe Hospital has been encouraged to establish an effective operational and management system for the vehicle to ensure that it is seen adding to the value of the services being delivered at the hospital especially outreach services”, said Lutaaya.
On her part, Suzanne Rupp, the MRC/UVRI&LSHTM chief operating officer who handed over the vehicle to Entebbe Hospital also reiterated that the vehicle will help Entebbe Hospital in their outreach programs.
We recognize the challenges that the hospital has to deliver the high quality services to the local communities. We work very closely with the Hospital and we collaborate with them in research and different programs. We assist with their Laboratory quality assurance in addition to educating their nurses and staff so that both MRC/UVRI&LSHTM benefits and Entebbe Hospital benefits from the research we are doing. We hope the donation will enable Entebbe Hospital and the staff reach to the community and help those who are in need of the services here, Suzanne Rupp said.
The vehicle donation to Entebbe General Hospital is part of three 4-wheel vehicles that were donated to the MRC/UVRI&LSHTM Uganda Research Unit a couple of days ago by the UK based MRC/London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Research Unit.
