2011 :: Surgery

Dr. Henry Dabanja    bio
Dr. Robert Masereka    bio

2011 :: Anesthesia

Coming Soon

2010 :: Surgery

Dr. Naomi Kebba    bio

2010 :: Anesthesia

Dr. Lameck Ssemogerere
Dr. Peter Agaba
Dr. Mary Theresa Nabukenya

2009 :: Surgery

Dr. Ian Asiimwe

2009 :: Anesthesia

Dr. Emmanuel Ayebale
Dr. Sharon Priscilla Mpumwire
Dr. Paul Namwanja

2008 :: Surgery

Dr. Henry Luweesi    bio
Dr. Wilberforce Kabweru    bio
Dr. Alex Elobu    bio

2008 :: Anesthesia

Dr. Andrew Kintu    bio
Dr. Tonny Stone Luggya    bio
Dr. Speciosa "Specky" Mbula Kimenye

Dr. Alex Elobu

Dr. Elobu graduated from Makerere University Medical school and recently completed a Masters degree in general surgery at Mulago Hospital as a Class of 2008 GPAS Scholar. In 2011 Alex was selected as a GPAS Senior Scholar for the 2011-12 academic year during which time he will teach and mentor surgical trainees at Mulago.

Dr. Henry Dabanja

Dr. Dabanja graduated from Mbarara University Medical school and is pursuing a Masters degreed in general surgery at Mulago Hospital. He was born in the upcountry district of Masindi, about 250km North of Kampala. First born in a family of six children, raised by a single mother, a peasant farmer. After studying primary and ordinary level in the rural district, then Advanced level in a modest city school,he went to Mbarara University,and graduated in 2008 MBchB. Dr. Dabanja worked in his home district hospital, where he describes "...the challenges met were enormous, many patients, few doctors to attend to them, especially when it came to surgical emergencies. It's upon this background that I decided to pursue a carrier in surgery. I have been working in Mengo Hospital since gradating." Uppon finnishing, trainning he hopes to serve this underprevilaged population and to study urology with passionate interest in renal transplant surgery.

Dr. Wilberforce Kabweru

Dr. Kabweru graduated from Makerere University Medical school and is pursuing a Masters degree in general surgery at Mulago Hospital.

Dr. Naomi Kebba

Dr. Kebba graduated from Makerere University Medical school and is pursuing a Masters degree in general surgery at Mulago Hospital.

Growing up I always said that I would become a doctor as part of the answer you give when asked what you wanted to become in future. I didn’t have any inkling of what it entails and what it takes for one to be called a doctor. On completing my earlier school training and joining medical school, the reality of it all hit me. The jitters on seeing the cadavers, the hard work, the emotional challenges, no holidays; and still I loved it all and was very happy doing my job. I completed my training and finally became the doctor I always wanted to be. I was trusted with preserving and prolonging the lives of my fellow human beings at all costs; with the assurance that I and other colleagues in the medical field would work as a team to achieve this fundamental task. Out in the field, it’s a totally different picture. The co workers you expect to find are hardly there. One often finds that one is alone at the work station with over whelming patient numbers making it impossible to effectively carry out one’s duties. This is especially true of rural health centres where most doctors do not want to go and staff turnover is high. In all the years I have been working as a medical officer, I have mainly worked in areas considered to be remote. At times we were so understaffed that when a colleague goes for leave, I am left as the only M.O in a 150bed capacity hospital with the help of clinical officers, nurses and nursing aides. This meant that all complicated cases that were brought to the hospital and any intervention that required surgical intervention were all sent to me; from performing caesarean sections to simple debridement, because the other staff didn’t have the training to do simple surgical procedures. I found myself working from Monday to Sunday as well as at odd hours of the night. This was very exhausting and compromised my health and work. I resolved to teaching the staff I worked with some basic surgical skills like simple suturing, wound debridement, proper wound dressing e.t.c. the greatly eased the work load and reduced time to receive treatment. I also realized it improved prognosis for some patients because for those who got injuries during the night, the wounds would be effectively managed by the night nurse or even the day nurse when I was busy; and when I got to review them eventually, I would be able to do definitive management on a clean wound or if it was done well, just have them continue with the management. When I realized that imparting these skills to the lower cadres was not only beneficial to me but to the patients as well, I realized the best way to make this work was to go back to school for more training and be able to impart these skills and more to other staff. The training would also help me because I at times would be faced with surgical conditions I couldnot manage on my own – in a way I was part of the untrained work force. I have worked in the rural areas of Uganda and Southern Sudan and the problem is always the same; shortage of skilled staff with patients who need the services not being able to get them. This to me was something that could be solved with the right strategy and collaboration. I wanted to be part of the solution because I had experienced firsthand what a challenge it is to lack adequate trained medical staff on ground, and I had also observed the helplessness of the patients when their conditions are not managed in time and they developed avoidable complications. Now I am back to school and pursuing further training and will ensure I work hard, complete my studies and join the struggle to ensure equitable distribution of these services, just like all my predecessors out there.

Dr. Andrew Kintu

Dr. Kintu Andrew is a native of Uganda and was born in Jinja. He graduated from Makerere University Medical School in 2007 and always wanted to pursue a career in emergency medicine and anesthesia critical care. During his internship, Andrew worked in Surgery and Obstetrics at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital where he encountered first-hand the critical shortage of anesthesiologists in the region.

In 2008 Andrew was selected as a GPAS Scholar and recently completed anesthesia training at Mulago in 2011. Also in 2011, Andrew was selected as a GPAS Senior Scholar for the 2011-12 academic year during which time he will teach and mentor anesthesia trainees at Mulago.

Dr. Henry Luweesi

Dr. Luweesi grew up in the Luwero district of central Uganda. He graduated from Mbarara University Medical School in 2004, and after finishing his internship in 2005 he performed medical outreach services in his home district of Luwero. While practicing during this time he noted many people dying of treatable surgical conditions simply because no surgical treatments were available in that area of Uganda. As a result of these recent experiences Dr. Luweesi chose to pursue a Masters in surgery and was selected as a GPAS scholar in 2008 to support his training.

Dr. Robert Masereka

Dr. Masereka Robert, a medical officer formerly working with Kilembe mines hospital(kasese,western uganda) since october,2008 shortly after my internship training. Iam a holder of bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery of Makerere university which I attained in 2007.

I have always been fascinated by surgery, for example when a patient comes to hospital with a cut wound bleeding profusely and the attendants are all scared by sight of blood among other things; within minutes I arrange for surgical toilet and suture (STS) and its done. The patient says thank you doctor and once again the attendants are all smiles. This is what i love doing but also because I love to help to save a life. This is one of the main reasons I went to work in rural Uganda after my internship training, and I have never regretted.

I did my Internship surgical rotation in Hoima regional referral hospital under supervision of Dr. Moro and Dr. Mbogo, both specialist general surgeons. This is when i appreciated and participated in the management of most of the commonest surgical emergencies including among others trauma from assault and road traffic accidents, Intestinal obstruction from whatever cause, acute appendicitis, peritonitis. I was able to perform successfully 4 hernia repairs, chest tube insertion in chest trauma (haemothorax, pneumothorax) ,excision of lipomas and granulomas, basic surgical skills such as STS. I also performed 70 caesarean sections successfully.

As medical officer in Kilembe mines hospital, I have perfomed 130 laparotomies especially for perforated terminal Ileum due to salmonellosis (enteric fever) complications-where resection and anastomosis of gut was done, ileostomy and Ileostomy closure for both end and loop ileostomies. Suffice to note is that enteric fever and its complications especially perforated terminal ileum has now become endemic in kasese and the neighbouring districts. I also repaired 5 gastric perforations, 65 hernia repairs, inserted 4 chest tubes, several STS. In the discipline of obstetrics and gynaecology,I have performed 230 caesarean sections, laparotomies for ovarian cysts and ruptured ectopic pregnancy among others.

I have been a team leader during outreaches and support supervisory visits to the lower health centers. I am also the chairperson of the education (continuing medical education) committee of kilembe mines hospital where i have participated in presentations among which pertains to surgery.

My career goals; -to reduce the surgical work crisis especially upcountry where there Is limited access to specialist surgical care. -to do clinical research and influence current surgical trends in the developing world. -to inspire other young doctors to take up surgical careers through mentorship and career guidance.

Dr. Tonny Stone

Dr. Stone was born in Mbale, Uganda and is a graduate of Makerere University and Makerere Medical School. Pursuing a career in anesthesia has been a childhood dream for Tonny. He has spent time working up-country with limited resources and hopes to apply his skills in such settings after completing his training in anesthesia.