Conjoined twins: Soroti hospital medics recognized by govt

Soroti Regional Referral hospital medics who successfully separated a living conjoined twin from her dead sister earlier in March this year have been recognized once again, this time by the ministry of Health.

A team of medics led by Dr Joseph Epodoi, the consultant surgeon successfully separated the twins delivered by caesarean section at Amuria health centre IV to Joyce Alinga, a resident of Aujongor village, Obalanga sub-county in Kapelebyong district.

After delivery, one of the twins died moments after birth and remained attached to the sister for six days. During this time, doctors at Amuria health centre IV referred them to Soroti hospital, who in turn also referred them to Mulago National Referral hospital. However, they were never attended after failing to secure an appointment allegedly due to lack of money, forcing them to be returned to Soroti. 

Dr Epodoi then spearheaded the operation after establishing that there was a layer of living cells separating the babies and that the twins were surviving on different body organs. The operation which was initially labelled risky and impossible was eventually successfully carried out to the amazement of the entire country.

On Friday last week, the ministry conducted a function to recognize the efforts by Dr Epodoi and the team of 13 other medics for the successful operation. During the function, both the hospital board and the ministry of Health awarded certificates of recognition to the team.

Hellen Adoa, the state minister for Fisheries who represented the minister of Health, said that the Soroti team exhibited a high level of commitment to save the twin girl, now named after Dr Epodoi.

"They decided to go beyond what they have in the hands and use the skill. It was a very big commitment but also they were able to do many other things not just this one. Because recently also they were able to pick a baby that was planted in the river. It was a very unique thing and we want to thank say thank you to this team. A new hospital is going to be built to replace this one which has been here for the last 100 years." said Adoa. 

Joyce Alinga, the mother of the child commended the efforts of Soroti medics in saving her child. She notes that after the children were returned from Mulago hospital, her hopes for the survival of the living child faded but the medics performed wonders in conducting a very complicated operation.  

The surviving twin who now weighs 2.1kg is in good health according to Dr Michael Muwanga, the hospital director. He added that the baby will soon be discharged from the hospital after completing the required health management. Last month, parliament also paid special tribute to the medics in a special plenary session that lasted more than three hours.

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Malawi citizen-funded COVID-19 initiative awarded for transparency

A citizen-funded COVID-19 effort in Malawi has received an award from Britain's Queen Elizabeth for its work fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The queen said the initiative shows the utmost transparency in the use of its privately raised funding. Malawi's COVID Response Private Citizens Initiative started in January, when the country's hospitals were overwhelmed with coronavirus patients and lacked resources at the peak of the second wave of the pandemic.

Public hospitals were in short supply of oxygen cylinders, concentrators, diagnostics kits and other equipment essential to treat COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Thandie Majenda Hara, deputy lead organizer for the initiative, said, "At some point we had a patient who literally went to Kamuzu Central Hospital and put up an SOS on his Facebook page saying that, apparently, they did not have enough flow meters, so he couldn't have access to oxygen, as well as patients that were in the ward with him. And it was that particular cry for help that was a trigger for what in the end became this initiative."

Equipment, food, repairs

She said the group spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign that raised $286,000 to buy oxygen cylinders, ventilators, personal protective equipment and other items most needed in public hospitals.

The initiative also brought food to health workers, fixed ambulances and repaired some damaged infrastructure inside hospitals.

"The people that actually came together to donate here were not people who had extra cash to spend," Hara said. "We had primary students; we had people [from] as far away [as] Australia, Chitipa, Nsanje [districts], everywhere. People were committed to doing something about the lot."

In Britain, in a press release Friday, Queen Elizabeth said the award was given in recognition of the initiative's transparency, accountability and efficiency.

Arrests, audit

The Commonwealth Points of Light award was given at a time when police in Malawi have arrested more than 64 government officials after an audit revealed misuse of $8 million in government funds allocated for the fight against COVID-19.

Police said some of the suspects were out on bail facing charges including fraud, theft by public servant and abuse of public office. In a statement this week, police said detectives were still investigating and more arrests would follow.

David Beer, the British high commissioner in Malawi, said the award was a token of appreciation for what Malawi's citizen-driven COVID-19 response initiative had done.

"The award on behalf of the queen, you know, is very much because the group, eight of them, has done such an astonishing job," Beer said. "This initiative is having incredible effect — not the amount of money they have raised, but what they have managed to do with it, and we want them to have recognition."

Health rights campaigners said the award would send a message to those in charge of COVID-19 funds that good work pays.

'Amazing response'

Hara said the award was not something the team expected.

"We never really went out to gain the award," she said. "We are very, very happy; we are very proud that the initiative has been recognized. So, for us the award isn't really about the team. It's not about any of us. It's about the amazing response Malawians gave in a time of the crisis."

She said the initiative would continue to assist in critical situations. Hara said the initiative above all had proved that collective responsible action by Malawi's citizens was possible even in a time of national crisis.

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Japan donates medical equipment worth Shs 1bn to Uganda

Japan has donated calibration equipment worth Shs 1 billion to the ministry of Health to help in the maintenance of medical equipment in 14 regional referral hospitals countrywide.

A list provided by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) shows that each regional referral hospital will receive a set of maintenance tool kits with 16 sets to support simple self-maintenance of the equipment.

The donation comes at a time when the capacity of regional referral hospitals countrywide had been stretched by the Covid-19 pandemic, making the equipment in these facilities susceptible to wear and tear.

In response, the Japanese Embassy through JICA intervened by donating 138 different tools distributed to each of the 14 referral hospitals. The Japanese ambassador to Uganda, Hidemoto Fukazawa, who was present at the handover ceremony, lauded the ministry's efforts in combating the Covid-19 pandemic and pledged continued support towards Uganda's fight towards the pandemic.

Fukazawa also called the intervention timely since medical professionals and machines were working over their normal capacity to see off the coronavirus.

"Any equipment be it a car or a machine needs maintenance, and I want to have all your equipment in the hospitals to be maintained properly and to be used for many years," Hidemoto said.

Recently, JICA has been on a drive to improve the health provision services in northern Uganda by helping in the refurbishment of the regional referral hospitals in Gulu, Lira and Arua. The agency, on four previous occasions collaborated with the ministry to fight Covid-19 through such interventions moving back to 2020, sentiments that were emphasized by Fakuse Yutaka, the chief representative of JICA in Uganda.

"This fifth support includes calibration equipment donated to 14 regional referral hospitals worth $474,023 to support health workers in ensuring patient safety," Yutaka said.

Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng expressed appreciation for the existing relationship between her ministry and JICA.

"Ministry of Health and JICA have had a long-term relationship and we've been working together on various things including continuous quality improvement including equipment maintenance, construction and rehabilitation of many hospitals...In our workshops, these machines are very vital because if for example, an oxygen cylinder fails to work, it means life and death. So what JICA is doing is to ensure that human life is saved. So on behalf of the ministry and Uganda as a whole allow me to say, thank you."

aaronorena@gmail.com

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Musician Free Boy sues MTN, Airtel over song

Local musician Mubarak Mandela aka Free Boy has sued telecom giants MTN-Uganda and Airtel for alleged copyright infringement. Through Viva Entertainment, the artiste accuses the two telecom giants of using his song "Kwata Essimu" since March 2020 to promote their sales without his consent.

In his suit before the High court Commercial Division, the artist wants both firms to compensate him Shs 175 million for copyright infringement. Through Katende and Sempebwa Advocates, Free boy and his promoter say that they decided to seek legal address after engaging the two companies since last year in vain. 

Addressing journalists in Arua over the weekend, Free Boy who signed a music production and promotion agreement with Viva Entertainment in 2017, said that he has evidence implicating the telecoms for using his song "Kwata Essimu" as a caller tune to promote their sales.

"It's a very big hustle back here in Arua for just somebody blowing out from this region, it takes a lot. And if they take what is yours and they don't pay, and don't even say anything about it. You call them, they just go silent about it. It is really really heartbreaking because this is never gonna happen to me alone. Even to the artists who will come after me are going to face the same issue. But we're talking about copyrights here. When somebody has copyrights on his artistry or whatever belongs to him, you have a right to compensate. They used my song, they used our song as Viva Entertainment - something we invested in a lot. That wasn't small money. I think people who watch videos do not really know what goes into the videos. We spent a lot," said Free Boy.

Gilbert Adibo, the CEO Viva Entertainment says that they instructed their lawyers to sue both telecoms after getting a cold response to their complaints. MTN has through its lawyers of Shonubi, Musoke and Co. Advocates denied the accusations of copyright infringement, saying they will task the applicants to prove their claims. It is not yet indicated when the court will hear the suit.

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Micheal Kinene Akomyewo na Nkuba mpya

Micheal Kinene Akomyewo na Nkuba mpya

Omuyimbi Micheal Kinene akomyewo na nkuba mpya oluvannyuma lw'okumala ekiseera nga tafulumya luyimba lwona. Ono yafuluma eggwanga mu mwezi gwa March wa 2018  era okuva olwo awangaalira mu gwanga lya Bungereza.

Kinene yafulumizza oluyimba lweyatuumye ‘'Eyakubererawo" Mweyanyonyoledde engeri abantu gye befuulira abo ababayiirawo omubiri.

Yatutegeezezza nti buli muntu alina abamubererawo nga kyandibade kirungi najjukira abantu naddala nga Katonda amulinyisizza eddaala. Kinene yayongeddeko nti ku mulundi guno akomyewo mu nsiike yokuyimba n'amaanyi mangi oluvanyuma lw'okufuna ba maneja abapya abamanyiddwa nga Richmond promotions era bamukoledde olutambi lw'enyimba lulamba lwategese okufulumya mu bbanga eritali lya wala.

Micheal Kinene yakuba enyimba nga; Oli Property yange, Akadaalako, Tuli kuki, Oli Specialist, n'endala nyingi

25 Ugandans on Interpol's wanted list

Over 25 Ugandans are on the red list of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for committing transnational crimes.

Charles Birungi, the acting director Uganda National Central Bureau says the suspects have their images shared with all the 190 Interpol member countries  - meaning they can be arrested at any time their images and personal data is detected by security systems of various countries.

A person becomes wanted when he commits a crime in his mother country or in another country but afterwards goes into hiding. In order to appear on the Interpol red notice, it is the country in which the crime was committed that takes the initiative to inform all member states.

After a notification is generated, it is accompanied with particulars of the crime the person is alleged to have committed as well as his individual data that comprises of age, skin colour, height, body features and travel history.

Birungi explains that first, it is the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) or Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) to open or sanction a case file against the accused person. Afterwards, DPP or CID informs Interpol in order to obtain an international warrant of arrest.

Although Birungi does not disclose the particulars of crimes the wanted persons allegedly committed, URN understands that a number of them are suspected to have participated in the killings of prominent Ugandan Muslim clerics, businessmen, state prosecutor and security chiefs.

In the last six years, more than a dozen prominent Muslim clerics such as Sheikh Mustafa Bahiga, Sheikh Abdul Khadir Muwaya, Sheikh Hassan Kirya were gunned down by men moving on motorcycles.

Although some suspects in some of the killings were arrested and charged, in many other cases no suspect has been arrested or convicted. Cases that have no suspects include the murder of state prosecutor Joan Kagezi, murder of then Arua Municipality MP Col Ibrahim Abiriga.

Other security chiefs who have been killed by shooting in the last six years include the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Andrew Felix Kaweesi, former Buyende district police commander, Muhammad Kirumira and Maj Muhammad Kiggundu.

"Some of these wanted persons have repeatedly involved themselves in cybercrimes. They have hacked telecoms, banks and ministries. They have been doing the same vices for more than four years but bringing them back here has been a problem," a police source said.

The biggest cybercrime of 2020 was the unauthorised access, electronic fraud and theft of approximately Shs 11 billion from Pegasus Technologies, Stanbic bank, Bank of Africa, MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda which are still being investigated under case references CID headquarters E 329/2020, E 332/2020, E 330/2020, E 331/2020 and GEF 998/2020.

Birungi said that the list of wanted persons is updated every five years and cannot be released now because some of those wanted might take advantage and change some of their travel documents or from their current locations. He adds that if the person on the wanted list is not arrested within five years, DPP or CID must write again expressing needed to keep the person on Interpol red notice.

In its April 20 report, Interpol says its Operation Simba III (March 19-28, 2021), Ugandan authorities at the Mutukula border were able to seize 25 kg of ammonium nitrate and other materials used by terrorists to manufacture improvised explosive devices.

Interpol also says seven individuals wanted internationally for crimes including fraud, murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery and financial crimes were detected, triggering investigations in several countries.

Kenyan authorities at the Moi International airport in Mombasa arrested a woman after she was found carrying 5.3 kg of heroin worth some $137,000, having travelled to Kenya via an alleged drug trafficking route from South Africa to East Africa.

Border checks also led to the detection of an individual wanted for alleged links to terrorism, as well as of another individual sought by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. 

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Cindy vows not to have another child out of wedlock

By Ahmad Muto According to Cindy Sanyu, she never going to have a child out of wedlock because she did it with her baby daddy, Mario and have a daughter together. This was while responding to rumours about her being pregnant. She noted that this time she wants to get it right by going through […]
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Lubowa hospital developer blames rain, COVID-19 for construction delays

The much-publicized International Specialized Hospital Uganda in Lubowa is still at foundation level - a month to the initial completion schedule. 

The project developer has indicated that they have been derailed by COVID-19, heavy rains, and cash flow issues. In 2019, parliament guaranteed a Shs 1.4 trillion loan to SPV Finasi/Roko led by Italian investor Enrica Pinetti for the construction of the 264-bed specialized health care project.

However soon after the approval, news emerged that the joint venture between Finasi and Roko had collapsed amidst reports that up to Shs 240 billion had gone missing before the project even kicked off.  

When the ministry of Health handed over the site on June 10, 2019, it hoped that the construction would be completed by June 2021. However, the project remains at the foundation level and, according to the minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, construction has been extended by a further 15 more months.

Aceng told the parliamentary health committee this week that on February 10, 2020, the project owner Eng. George Otim revised the works program and approved an extension of three months because of bad weather conditions in the Lubowa area caused by high rainfall. Another extension of 12 months was sought in addition to the three months due to the effects of COVID-19 lockdown.

"The project duration currently signed and approved is 39 months, the lapse duration is 689 days. The project finish date is 9th September 2022. The main performed activities - completion of the substructure and scaffolding of the main hospital building, main auxiliary building, and utility plants. Two is; completion of site camps and labour accommodation, three is completion of the batching plant, four is submission of staff training protocols in Uganda and Italy, and lastly confirmation of orders for key medical equipment from the manufacturers," Aceng said. 

So far at least Shs 406 billion in promissory notes have been issued and the value of work completed now stands at Shs 204 billion - representing 22.7 per cent of the total construction while the planned value which is the amount of work that should have been done by now if conditions were normal is at Shs 305 billion.

In terms of work progress, the work is late by 11.4 per cent, which stands at Shs 102 billion not yet paid to the contractor because work has not yet been done.

According to the project owner Otim, the construction is at 35 per cent with some main activities already undertaken to completion. Otim said the heavy rains affected the construction work, especially because the area was dug but was soon filled with water and looked like a dam. He says the rains especially of July 2020 and August left them stranded.    

"The earned value refers to work that is actually done, now it is $6.9m - constituting 20% of the entire work that is supposed to be done. Now land value refers to what should have been done by now. So if everything were to be normal, the contractor should have done work worth $85.4m which constitutes 34.1%. It means that we have lost in terms of work progress 11 per cent," Otim said. 

Brian Luswata, the legal officer of the Lubowa project explained that because of the COVID-19 lockdown, workers were trapped abroad, shipments couldn't move, while in Uganda they also had to struggle on how to keep their workers during the pandemic.

"Now one of them is that we couldn't mobilize staff outside because you all remember the first 3 months of the lockdown there was no free movement of persons so it was hard to mobilize...the airspace was closed, no flights were landing in Entebbe actually the entire management team from Italy and Dubai and it was not only Uganda but other countries. You know that Italy is just opening up, the contractor which is a Chinese firm [Power China Guizhou Engineering co.Ltd] also couldn't bring their staff here because their management team is Chinese and that time mostly last year they couldn't come," said Luswata. 

But Mbwatekawa Gaffa, the Kasambya County MP said that the COVID-19 and weather excuses do not hold, because the project was suspicious from the onset. He asked why despite the COVID pandemic other projects in the country have been moving on and not Lubowa.

"I think we shouldn't be handing under the disguise of COVID. You can see the developer trying to hide under force majeure - meaning that neither of the two parties, nobody is liable for any of the changes. That is why they are using that terminology...But I wish to ask you honourable, minister sincerely, you're the ones who have been in charge of COVID here in Uganda, we have seen other projects moving on," Mbwatekawa said. 

During the meeting with MPs, it also emerged that the project was delayed by cash flow issues arising from the lender's failure to purchase two guarantees due to the fact that the said promissory notes were not issued according to the agreed cash flow statement. 

"The funding structure creates a very rigid link between the execution of works and pre-determined groups of milestones on one hand and funding on the other, which makes no room for any possible delay or disruptions or adjustments in the sequence of works," Aceng said.

Aside from the two extensions, another delay was a standstill agreement signed, which meant that work would stop or utmost continue moderately between January and April 2021. This was still in relation to COVID-19 force majeure events. This period saw the project operations slow down and continue at a reduced pace up to April. Accordingly, the project will now be completed on June 9, 2022. 

Herbert Kinobere the Kibuku county MP questioned whether when the team was signing the agreement, they did not anticipate any rains. He also said that looking at the trend of the things, the developer might have to come back to ask for more time. He says the project should revert to government.

"I was asking myself when you're signing the contract, didn't you have it in mind that there will a rainy season? If a contractor starts putting in the issue of rain, I think it is a sign that work is becoming a little bit challenging and may need to be advised otherwise," Kinobere said. 

Committee chairperson Micheal Bukenya said that as MPs they are shocked to hear of the developments, but emphasize that they now plan to meet Finasi and other stakeholders before writing their report to the house.

"The project was started in 2019 and was supposed to last two years and the two years have elapsed and we're still at the foundation. But I think when the minister says that the contractor is to blame, it is because government is doing its part. The challenges are with the contractor affecting the works. It is an agreement where government has to fulfil its obligations and so government is fulfilling and the contractor has challenges which they termed as weather and epidemic," Bukenya said. 

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Statement on the occasion to mark International Labour Day 2021

Uganda today joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Labour day. This day is commemorated in appreciation of the daily contribution of workers to national development.

It is also used as an occasion to heighten consciousness about the need to protect the rights of workers and also remind workers of their responsibilities and obligations.

This year's celebrations will be commemorated under the theme: "Enhancing Innovation for Increased for Employment Creation and Labour Productivity: A Sustainable COVID-19 Response".  

BACKGROUND

The Covid-19 pandemic has had profound impact on economies around the world. Labour Markets have been severely impacted as a result of the containment measures.

Not only have workers faced the threat of acquiring the virus at work, but also the measures put in place to contain the spread of the pandemic also occasioned workplace closures, loss of employment, reduction of hours of work, loss of wages, and economic inactivity.

For example, at one time nearly 320,000 workers employed in the Tourism and Hospitality sector were temporarily laid off. In the education sector, about 600,000 workers were also out of work for some months.

Given that Labour income constitutes a substantial part of household income, the disruption in wage income therefore affected household welfare, constrained demand for goods and services, and contributed to the sluggish growth of the economy.

ENHANCING INNOVATION FOR INCREASED JOB CREATION AND LABOUR PRODUCTVITY

The various challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic should not be a cause for despair but a call to action. The history of mankind is punctuated by crises. Covid-19 is not the first of its kind.

For example, between October 1918 and June 1919, there was an influenza pandemic in Uganda that claimed about 25,000 lives. (Uganda Protectorate Annual Medical and Sanitary Report 1919). In Europe, the bubonic plague pandemic (also known as the Black Death) which occurred between 1346 – 1353 claimed over 100 Million people.

No matter the scale of the pandemic or crisis, humankind has always overcome and emerged stronger. One of the factors that explain why humankind has continually overcome challenges like pandemics, epidemics and disasters is innovation.

Innovation in this sense does not only mean developing of new products and services using high-tech but it includes adapting new ways of life, and doing things differently.

Uganda's experience with the Covid 19 pandemic already demonstrates that the people who were able to innovate or adopt new ways of doing things were less affected by the effects of the pandemic.

For example, alcohol factories that diversified into the production of hand sanitizers instead turned the misfortune into an opportunity to make money through the sale of sanitizers whose demand had increased. Furthermore, when public transport was suspended, Boda Boda riders switched from ferrying passengers to delivering goods in order to continue earning a living.  

GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE POLICY TO PROMOTING INNOVATION

Innovation requires both ingenuity of the mind and an environment which allows its continuous growth.  Fortunately, in Uganda, the Government has already taken measures to create the necessary conditions for innovation to thrive. Some of these measures taken include;

1. Strengthening the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education

2. Promoting Research in STEM by improving the remuneration of scientists.

3. Providing Research Funds to Institutions of Higher Learning. For example the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund has received 90 Billion to support high impact Research and Innovations.

4. Government has also provided funding under the National ICT Initiatives Support Program (NIISP) which will support at least 45 innovators or start-ups to receive Shs.7.39 Billion.

Besides, the Government has mainstreamed Science Technology and Innovation in Development planning. To this end, the Government, under NDP III, has committed to;

1. Increase the Global Innovation Index from 25.3 to 35.0;

2. Increase Gross Expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP (GERD) from 0.4 per cent to 1 per cent;

3. Increase business enterprise sector spending on Research and Development (per cent of GDP) from 0.01 per cent to 0.21 per cent; and

4. Increase the number of Intellectual Property Rights registered per year from 2 to 50.

A sustainable culture of innovation is built on a strong education system. The Government has accordingly increased funding towards the education sector.  

The Government has earmarked funding to support the development of Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics subjects that are key in driving productivity and innovation. The choice of this year's theme seeks to underscore the important the role that Innovation will play in supporting recovery from the effects of Covid-19.

In conclusion, it is hoped that this year's theme: "Enhancing Innovation for Increased for Employment Creation and Labour Productivity: A Sustainable COVID-19 Response", will stimulate public discourse and research on how innovation can be promoted in order to support the economy to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is a sponsored article

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