Feature: China's specialists training boosts Uganda's health care provision

Alfred Omo's dream was to study medicine at Uganda's prestigious Makerere University. His dream was however shuttered when he was not admitted to do the course he desired most.

Although he picked up the admission letter from Makerere to do the alternative course he had been offered, Omo, a peasant boy from the northern Ugandan district of Apac did not give up on his pursuit to study medicine.

He applied for a Chinese scholarship where he excelled with flying colors beating all the 54 contestants.

Settling in China was not an easy path for Omo as he had to learn the Chinese language as a perquisite to join the university where he had been admitted. Some of his colleagues who failed the language test were sent back home.

Omo never forgot his humble background, he devoted his time to reading hard. Indeed this paid off as he attained his bachelor's degree in medicine, master's degree in heart and chest surgery and a doctorate in heart and chest surgery all from China.

Back to his country after getting years of specialized training, Omo was among the country's only three heart surgeons. Following his return, the country in 2007 started open heart surgery.

"We already have a fully-fledged heart institute which can now do open heart surgery. Open heart surgery is a prestige of every country, it is a measure of a country's either scientific or economic development," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Open heart surgery then was unheard of. Only the rich, senior government officials and people sponsored by charity organizations would afford to go for it. These operations were carried out abroad especially in India.

"Even when the money is not enough, we operate people at the lowest cost possible. So many children who would not have seen their birth days are now very happy in school," he said.

Omo and his colleagues on average see about 500 patients a year, a figure he says is low compared to the 6,000 patients who require attention.

He said although they have inspired other young surgeons to get into the specialty of heart and chest surgery, more are still needed to cope with the high demand.

Besides Omo, there are other medical people who have received specialized training from China. These specialists are in the field of brain surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, and obstetrics.

Omo is among hundreds of Ugandans who have benefited from the Chinese scholarships aimed at improving relations between China and Uganda.

Figures from the Chinese embassy in Uganda show that annually China offers Uganda 40 long term scholarships and over 300 others for short-term training. Endit