NATIONAL NEWS NEW VISION, Monday, February 6, 2017 5 Uganda mourns Dr Mungherera By Pascal Kwesiga contributed $23,000 (sh82m) become president of Uganda Medical said: “She advocated for the welfare towards the cost of another operation Association (UMA). of health workers and taught many She was perhaps the most enthusiastic Mungherera was due to undergo Mungherera served as vice- BETWEEN THE LINES: of them. She ventured into an area doctor Uganda has had in recent in India. She was pronounced dead president of the Commonwealth Mungherera served as a (psychiatry) which was dominated history. Dr Margaret Mungherera shortly after arrival in India. Medical Association for eastern, consultant psychiatrist in charge by men and mobilised women and treated her medical profession as central and southern Africa; of the forensic unit at Butabika men to join her. We will miss her, but nothing less, but a calling to serve Who is Dr Mungherera? and was fi rst the African woman her legacy will live on.” mankind. Mungherera was born in a family of to become president of World woman to become the president The acting director general of She devoted all her life to selfl ess eight on October 25, 1957 in Butaleja Medical Association. Mungherera health services, Prof. Anthony service to people from all walks of life district. Out of six children, four, chaired boards of a number of Mbonye, said Mungherera was the — medical workers, patients, women including Mungherera, graduated as not-for-profi t organisations and was a most enthusiastic doctor he has ever and girls, as well as victims of gender- medical doctors. Their father, Seezi Rotarian. Tributes seen. based crimes. Mungherera, is a retired civil servant, Her husband, Richards Mushanga, “It is very unfortunate we have lost Her remarkable leadership and but the mother, Joyce, is deceased. a retired banker, said his wife was her. She fought for the remuneration mentorship skills enabled her scale She graduated with a bachelor of an honest person who served the and working conditions of health the heights in the medical world. She medicine and surgery from Makerere country faithfully. workers,” he added. fought tirelessly and passionately for University in 1982. She later did a “She was not a liar and that is why Dr Katumba Ssentongo, the the welfare of medical workers and number of courses related to her we managed to stay together since registrar at Uganda Medical and quality treatment for patients. For medical profession at universities in a we got married many years ago,” Dental Practitioners Council, said her, all Ugandans, regardless of their number of countries. said the 65-year-old man. Mungherera represented the status, deserved quality healthcare, Mungherera served fi rst as medical “For the last 22 years, I have (council) at international conferences and medical professionals ought to be offi cer and later as consultant been happily married to Richards without fi nancial facilitation. adequately facilitated to provide it. psychiatrist in charge of the forensic Mushanga, a retired banker and “She has fought for the welfare of When many Ugandan doctors left the unit at Butabika National Referral we have an adult son and four medical workers and she resisted country for greener pastures abroad Hospital granddaughters,” Mungherera temptations to leave for greener in the 1980s and 1990s, Mungherera She was a visiting psychiatrist wrote in her CV. She listed her pastures in the 1980s,” he stated. chose to stay put. She believed that to prisons and senior consultant hobbies as ‘singing classical Dr Sheila Ndyanabangi, the it was much better to play a role in psychiatrist at Mulago Hospital. Other church music’. national focal person for tobacco bettering the working conditions of responsibilities included honorary The former control unit in the health ministry, health workers and healthcare, instead lecturer at the College of Health Ministry of Health said Mungherera cared for suffering of leaving the country when it needed Sciences, Makerere University permanent people reason she chose psychiatry. health cadres most. a Gulu University council secretary, Dr “It was not a lucrative area then. When she was diagnosed with cancer vice-chairperson, vice- Asuman She was selfl ess and spoke the truth over a year ago, Mungherera told chairperson of Uganda Lukwago, always and fought for the patients’ colleagues that her health was under Medical and Dental cause.” attack from the non-communicable Practitioners The Uganda Medical Association disease, but added that, with the Council. She secretary general, Dr Obuku Ekwaro, solidarity from the medical world, she was the fi rst said Mungherera assisted many would fi ght the ailment to the best of female young medics to progress in their her ability. medic careers and introduced them to Unfortunately, she lost the battle to be infl uential fi gures in the profession on Saturday in India, succumbing to across the world. cancer of the abdomen on the World “She was a mentor, teacher and Day dedicated to raising awareness mother. She held my hand and and promoting ways of easing the opened doors for me. She was a global (cancer) burden. medical icon,” he added. Mungherera underwent a Dr Aaron Majajati, the president number of operations in India of Zambia Medical Association, after she was diagnosed with described Mungherera as ‘a mother’ cancer. She was fi rst admitted in a short message to a social media at Nsambya Hospital for platform. about a week before her “I am devastated. She was more transfer to India on Thursday. than a senior colleague to me. I feel President Yoweri Museveni like I have lost a mother,” he stated. Dr Margaret Mungherera died on Saturday in India. She was aged 59. Photo by Richard Sanya Church offers to help government implement programmes By Norman Katende The Church of Uganda has killings and unexplained fi ve universities, 50 vocational disappearances. The Anglican Church has schools, 5,000 primary He was executed together asked the Government to schools, over 500 secondary with two cabinet ministers, utilise the church structures schools and over 50 hospitals Erinayo Oryema and Charles in the implementation of across the country. Oboth Ofumbi. development programmes as Rugunda thanked the Speaking at the Church’s part of measures to fi ght the Church for bringing up youth headquarters at Namirembe, rampant corruption failing with character, who have been Rev. Can. Amos Magezi said the many of these projects. able to build a nation and celebrations started yesterday Speaking during the service asked that they internalise with a thanksgiving service at which marked the anniversary what they learn to develop the Namirembe Cathedral. for the commemoration of country in the future. He said the main event will 40 years of the Martyrdom Meanwhile, on Saturday, be at Mucwini and the chief of Janani Luwum at St Paul’s the Church of Uganda celebrant will be Archbishop Cathedral Namirembe, the released a programme for the Stanley Ntagali. The ceremony Bishop of Mityana Diocese, commemorative celebrations will be attended by two bishops Dr Stephen Kazimba, advised of the Archbishop Janani from the United Kingdom; the Government to take advantage Luwum Day, which will be Bishop of Bristol, who will of the Church and see whether held at his village in Mucwini, represent the Archbishop of they will not have better results. Prime Minister Dr Rugunda (right wearing suit) greets Bishop Kazimba after the Kitgum district. Canterbury and the retired “The Church has the power service to commemorate 40 years of the martyrdom of Archbishop Janani Luwum at The road map was released Bishop of Rochester, who will to transform, inspire, comfort St Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe yesterday. Photo by Norman Katende by the organising committee at be the memorial preacher. and bring people together, Namirembe Cathedral. Pilgrims are expected from mostly those going through corruption. Our request is that Government,” Bishop Kazimba and the facilities the Church Luwum was executed by the Kenya, Burundi, Sudan and different challenges. the Government partners with said during the function has are testimony that we Idi Amin regime on February Congo. “We hear of stories of us in achieving their goals. attended by scores of bishops are able to achieve this as we 16, 1977 for speaking out government projects stalling or Let us manage some of the and other dignitaries. build a God-fearing nation,” against excesses of the regime. (Additional reporting by not yielding results because of development projects of the “We all need a good Uganda Kazimba said. He protested against arbitrary Betty Amamukirori) .