Kampala, Uganda – Maj. Gen. Ambrose Musinguzi, Head of Joint Staff Medical Services of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), received a delegation of military medical specialists from the United Kingdom who visited the UPDF National Referral Hospital and the Defence Forces Rehabilitation and Vocational Centre. The purpose of the visit was to exchange expertise and explore opportunities for collaboration in clinical care, rehabilitation, and specialist medical training with UPDF medical personnel.
In his welcome remarks, Maj. Gen. Musinguzi highlighted that the UPDF National Referral Hospital is being developed into a specialised centre of excellence aimed at delivering transformative medical services, advanced medical education, and cutting-edge research. He explained that the hospital will provide a comprehensive spectrum of care, from general medical services to specialised and super-specialised treatments. These will include oncology, cardiothoracic surgery, bone marrow transplantation, and hepatic (liver) transplantation.
Maj. Gen. Musinguzi further noted that beyond patient care, the facility will play a critical role in strengthening Uganda’s healthcare system by enhancing national capacity in diagnostics, biomedical engineering, and Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) operations, among other key support functions required for modern tertiary healthcare.He added that these advancements are expected to improve clinical outcomes for members of the armed forces, advance medical training, and foster research and innovation within the country’s healthcare sector.
The visit was facilitated by Brigadier Geoffrey Cranimer Karugaba, who serves as Defence Advisor at the Uganda High Commission in London. Working together with his British counterpart, he coordinated the delegation’s visit and supported the exchange of professional knowledge between the two defence forces. The defence partnership between the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and the United Kingdom’s Defence Medical Services continues to grow through collaborative initiatives aimed at strengthening military healthcare, rehabilitation services, and medical capacity building.
