Dr Atwine was joined by Dr Henry Muwonge, Dr Solomon Kamurari and Moses Mulimira from Uganda-UK Health Alliance, an umbrella organisation for UK institutions undertaking global health programmes in Uganda. Also there were officials from the Uganda National Drug Authority, the Uganda High Commission to the UK and the medical director of Busolwe Hospital.
The visit was arranged with Cambridge Global Health Partnerships (CGHP), a charitable programme working to improve global health in partnership with hospitals, governments and health organisations in UK and low- and middle-income countries, and to provide specialist expertise, support, and shared learning to achieve sustainable improvements in health services.
CGHP has facilitated four ongoing strands of health partnership work between Cambridge and Uganda since 2015 - maternal and neonatal health, antimicrobial stewardship, cancer and critical care.
The delegation met with Trust senior executives, consultants and other clinical and academic specialists before going on a tour of the hospital, which included visits to Neuro Critical Care Unit and general Intensive Care Unit.
One highlight included an online Grand Round – the medical term given to a formal meeting at which physicians discuss the clinical case of one or more patients and is considered an important part of medical education.
The virtual grand round focused on ‘management of the critically ill obstetric patient’ and was attended by representatives from Cambridge University Hospitals and Uganda’s Makerere and Mbarara Universities and partners hospitals.
The day finished with discussions to further develop the critical care partnership including the development of a nursing exchange between the countries.
CGHP director, Evelyn Brealey, said: “Having spent the last two years meeting remotely it was a great pleasure to meet our partners in person. We are absolutely delighted at the way the day went. Not only was it an opportunity to cement this important partnership but also for both sides to develop learning and understanding about each other."
Dr Atwine said: “We were extremely pleased to have the opportunity to visit Cambridge University Hospitals and to develop further the very exciting partnership which has existed between us for over seven years, and that we hope will continue for many years to come.”
To learn more about and to support Cambridge Global Health Partnerships visit https://cambridgeghp.org/
Image: Dr Rowan Burnstein, Neuro Critical Care Unit (NCCU) Consultant (second from left) shows Dr Diana Atwine (fourth from left) around the NCCU.
