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Why the Pope was booked for Uganda’s Mulago Hospital

By DAVID KWALIMWA November 29th, 2015 2 min read

Medics at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda were kept on standby to attend to Pope Francis in the event of an emergency during the pontiff’s three-day tour of the country, Nairobi News understands.

The 78 year old head of the Roman Catholic Church left Uganda on Sunday morning for the Central African Republic at the conclusion of a visit that saw him address the nation and attend a host of official events in Kampala.

And in a true reflection of his humble lifestyle, the pope is said to have been comfortable with receiving treatment at the biggest public hospital in the country, which is based in the capital Kampala.

According to The Observer newspaper, two medical doctors and two nurses – all Ugandans, were chosen and put on standby for this special task. Also, two ambulances were on standby for the pope should the need arise.

This scenario is in sharp contrast to the medical preference of most political leaders in the country.

THE POPE’S FAITH

The same VIP room at Mulago, which had been set aside for the pope, is the same one that had been prepared to treat Queen Elizabeth II, for the same reason, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Uganda back in 2007.

Officials at the hospital, which is the equivalent of Kenyatta National Referral Hospital in Nairobi, said they are proud that the Pope had shown great faith in their facility.

The hospital says that it was prepared to handle all health emergencies that could have arisen during the Pope’s three-day visit in the country.

According to Mulago PRO, Enock Kusasira, the hospital administration had added 10 more nurses and 5 doctors to the VIP emergency unit in case of an emergency.

Ahead of the Papal visit, the hospital had also made repairs to equipment such as oxygen cylinders and generators as well as applying a fresh coat of paint on the emergency unit.