Ugandan doctor makes modern baby incubator
What you need to know:
- Dr Diana Atwine thanked Nsamba for building such a facility and urged the government to borrow the idea of innovation.
Out of 700 babies born every month at Mukono Health Centre IV, 25 are born premature and need an incubator. This is according to Dr Geoffrey Kasirye the in-charge of the health centre.
The doctor made these remarks during the inspection tour of the Ugandan made incubator by the ministry of health at Mukono Health Centre IV on Tuesday.
Dr Kasirye said these babies are born premature because mothers delay to go for medical checkups, take local medicine, have poor feeding, high blood pressure and infections.
“We are so grateful to this Ugandan made incubator, it has spent two months here and has saved 55 babies’ lives,” Dr Kasirye said. Previously, the health centre has been referring babies to Kiruddu and Kawempe hospitals.
Chris Nsamba the director at African Space Research Programme which reportedly built the first Ugandan made incubator said he got the idea and made the innovation known as SAVANT Genius so as to save babies lives.
“This machine has saved babies with various life threatening conditions like those who could not breathe properly, or lacking oxygen,” Nsamba said.
He said they built it to save lives but not for profits.
Mr Nsamba said they wish to manufacture these machines in bulk, noting that there are so many babies out there who need the help of incubators. The doctor said the machine can be controlled and monitored over the internet and can accommodate three babies.
The permanent secretary at Ministry of health Dr Diana Atwine thanked Nsamba for building such a facility and urged the government to borrow the idea of innovation.
“We have to look at a Ugandan scientist who sat down and thought about the function of a comprehensive incubator for the babies that also has features which conventional incubators don't have,” Dr Atwine said.
She added that Nsamba had this idea for two years and so many doctors have come up to testify about it.
She also said that this development should be supported by the government to bring services to children and show Ugandans that they are capable of innovating world class material that everyone can take pride in adopting.
“We shall recommend you to ministries responsible because we want this innovation to be supported,” Dr Atwine said.
