BUKOMANSIMBI – The Korea Foundation of International Healthcare (KOFIH) said that it has donated 400 million won ($345,400) worth of emergency medical equipment to Uganda’s Ministry of Health.
Donated items included an ambulance, motorcycle, and ultrasound devices.
Despite high traffic accidents and the occurrences of emergency patients, Uganda has no basic emergency response system, such as professional staff, free emergency call, public transport, medical facilities, and equipment, the foundation said.
KOFIH has been promoting the emergency medical care system in the country since 2017.
“It is essential to provide functional emergency medical services in emergencies where lives are at stake,” Uganda’s Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi said. “KOFIH’s support project will contribute significantly to the development of health services in Uganda.”
Ugandan doctors and nurses who received training in Korea act out an emergency medical situation during the donation ceremony at the Masaka District.
KOFIH has been working with the Uganda Ministry of Health to establish an emergency medical care system in two districts — Masaka and Bukomansimbi – since 2017.
The project includes the construction of emergency medical care infrastructures such as support for essential diagnosis equipment at emergency rooms and ultrasonic diagnosis as well as the training of emergency medical personnel.
KOFIH plans to spend about 4 billion won on building emergency medical system in Uganda by 2021.
