General
Cardiothoracic experts to help establish Mulago open heart surgery unit
A team of five Egyptian experts from the University of Suez Canal, Egypt were recently in the country to discuss issues regarding collaboration in Cardiothoracic surgery with the College of Health Sciences , Makerere University.
A team of five Egyptian experts from the University of Suez Canal, Egypt were recently in the country to discuss issues regarding collaboration in Cardiothoracic surgery with the College of Health Sciences , Makerere University.
The team led by Prof M. El-Badawi and Dr. Ibingira Charles, Dean, School of Biomedical sciences paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba in his office on Friday 29th 2010, whereupon the team revealed that they had already visited Kenya and Ethiopia on a similar mission.
The team headed by Prof. M. Morsi Amin, a Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery revealed that these visits were aimed at assessing the manpower and infrastructure in the respective countries, before deciding on which city they would chose to start with. He disclosed that so far, some Doctors had been picked from Ethiopia and Kenya and they were already undergoing training in Egypt. This he hoped would help brighten the future of cardiothoracic departments in Ethiopia and at Moi University Kenya, and hoped to extend the collaboration to Makerere in Uganda, but are expected to first hold talks with the Ministry of Health as well as Mulago Hospital.
In the case of Uganda, and College of Health Sciences/Mulago Referral Hospital in particular, the team proposed to the facilitate training of Staff interested in the field of open heart surgery, in two ways; Sending their teams of experts to conduct training in Kampala, as they participate in open heart surgery at the College/ Mulago Hospital and Training Ugandan teams in Egypt. In addition they promised to offer open heart surgery to some patients who are currently in need in Egypt.
The experts also proposed to facilitate the establishment functionality of an open heart surgery unit at Mulago Hospital. To achieve this, the team will assess the needs at the College/Mulago Hospital regarding teaching, research and equipment during their visit and see how they can intervene. All the collaboration will be preceded by Agreements with the concerned units.
Prof. Baryamureeba thanked the team for their kind gesture and revealed that their visit had coincided with the Government’s plans to forge relations with partners in the health field. With the establishment of an open heart surgery unit as the eventual goal, he pledged the commitment of Makerere University to further collaborations with the University of Suez Canal, which partnership would eventually benefit all Ugandans.
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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