By Halson Kagure
Mbarara, (UG): Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) has received a batch of forty second-year Clinical Officers Students to get acquainted with practical skills under the supervision of qualified staff.
These have been sent by Mayanja Memorial Medical Training Institute and will have to spend about four weeks rotating from selected units which include the Dental Unit, Ophthalmology and Eye Nose Ear and Throat (ENT) Department.
These were first introduced to the office of the Hospital Director; by Ms. Dorothy Ajiambo, the Hospital Principal Clinical Officer (PCO) who doubles as the Supervisor of the Outpatients Department.
PCO Ajiambo informed the Director that as the Department, they will do what it is within the means to churn these medical apprentices into devoted cadres in saving lives.
Dr Celestine Barigye, the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital Director cautioned them against playing outside the perimeters of the Hippocratic oath.
To the uninitiated, the Hippocratic oath code attributes to the Greek Ancient Physician Hippocrates of Kos who is still regarded as an outstanding figure in the history of medicine. The oath runs on golden principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and respect for the patient’s autonomy without forgetting confidentiality and veracity.
However, not one time; it’s not no longer shocking for the media or the members of the public to accuse some health workers acting beyond their ethical and professional code of conduct.
It’s against this background that Dr Barigye reminded the interns to be truthful to patients while rendering services to them. He said that it’s morally wrong for health workers to indulge themselves in acts that go against their calling of saving humanity.
“I also want to advise you never to involve yourselves in extortion because when we get you will suffer alone. You should always put on clinical coats with clear identification”, he said.
Dr Barigye also warned these students of Clinical Medicine not to mix love affairs with internship training in the hospital but rather pay attention to their tutors.
“I see majority of you here are young men and women who might be in love or intend to fall in love. But, let me tell you, this is not the right place for you. You are here to learn how to save lives, not romance or something of that sort. It’s not allowed”, he advises.
Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital is a teaching centre of Mbarara University of Science and Technology and other Medical Institutions in the region.
For long, the hospital has not only displayed a commitment to providing highly specialized services beyond its minimum care package but also invested a lot in research.
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About the Author: Halson Kagure is the Public Relations Officer of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Mbarara University of Science and Technology and other medical institutions in the region.
