In northern Uganda, where 20 years of war have left many thousands dead and more than one million displaced, doctors are receiving advanced training to deal with the medical consequences of the fighting.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has started a two-week training course for surgeons and health staff of government, military and missionary hospitals in three districts: Kitgum, Pader and Gulu. Graziella Piccolo is a spokesperson for the ICRC in Uganda. From the capital, Kampala, she told English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua about the organization’s efforts in northern Uganda.
“We are supporting at this moment eight hospitals in the conflict area, not only with training but also delivery of equipment and medical supplies. This will be actually the third surgical training camp that the International Committee of the Red Cross is organizing in northern Uganda.”
Piccolo describes the type of training being offered. “In this case we have our regional surgeon coming to train the doctors of hospitals in northern Uganda in surgical reconstructive techniques, on orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, as well as techniques on management of the wounded and the sick in conflict situations.”
During the first two months of the year, the ICRC recorded over one thousand operations, as well as two thousand obstetrics-related admissions. Thousands of children are also treated for various ailments at the ICRC-supported clinics and hospitals.