Uganda Gets Second Portable Hospital
ADF STAFF
The United States has provided a second $5.5 million state-of-the-art Level 2 field hospital to the Ugandan military to help with rapid deployment to regional peacekeeping missions, humanitarian emergencies and medical crises.
The 22-bed facility, which meets United Nations specifications, has specialized suites for dental and surgical care and for treating infectious diseases. Ugandan officials said the portable hospital includes equipment for diagnostic imaging, X-rays and eye care.
Soldiers from the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces trained extensively at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capabilities Center in Jinja in October before receiving the hospital. They learned how to set up, operate, and dismantle the hospital so they can deploy effectively when needed.
“This initiative reflects the United States’ dedication to enhancing health care and humanitarian response capabilities as part of the more than 60-year partnership with the Ugandan people,” said U.S. Ambassador to Uganda William Popp.
Ugandan Brig. Gen. Peter Gaetano Omola said the donation was evidence of the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations. “It is a manifest that our strategic leaders between the two governments are working in harmony for our good,” he said, as reported by Ugandan news site Nile Post.
The first donated hospital played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the Ugandan response, which helped save thousands of lives, including civilians. Both hospitals have negative pressure isolation facilities for infectious disease cases such as COVID-19. Negative pressure rooms, also called isolation rooms, keep patients with infectious illnesses from infecting other patients, visitors and health care staff. The air pressure inside the room is lower than air pressure outside the room. When the door is opened, potentially contaminated air or other dangerous particles inside the room do not flow outside.
Omola said the first hospital originally was stationed in Bombo for COVID-19 response and now is deployed in Mogadishu, supporting Ugandan troops in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. Ugandan officials say the plan is to use one of the hospitals for training and the other for emergency deployments.
Uganda’s armed forces’ missions include defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda and helping civilian authorities in emergencies and natural disasters. The armed forces also have participated in socioeconomic development projects, helped police maintain internal security and participated in African and U.N. peacekeeping missions.
Uganda was chosen for the donation due to its role as a pillar of African peacekeeping, Nile Post reported. Uganda also received a water treatment plant and incinerator.
Through 13 government agencies, the U.S. invests almost $1 billion annually in Ugandan communities to promote economic growth and employability, to improve health and education, to support democratic values, and to strengthen security. More than 97% of this investment in Uganda is provided directly through non-governmental partners. The U.S. says its assistance to Uganda plays a key role in improving health outcomes by strengthening its capacity to address emerging health threats including tuberculosis, malaria, maternal/child health and HIV/AIDS.