THE PROFESSIONALS WHO SHOULD BE PAID MONEY IN UGANDA AND NOT THE LOUSY POLITICIANS

A day in the life of an ENT surgeon- A patient’s recovery is his bundle of joy
Edison Babigamba
By Ivan Okuda

Posted Sunday, September 4 2011 at 00:00
I am called Edison Babigamba, an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon at Mulago Hospital, lecturer at College Of Health Sciences, Makerere University and proprietor of Precious Clinic in Wandegeya. My day begins at 6am, with watching the news. Then I get to Mulago Hospital by 7.30am. When I am on duty, I work 24 hours, the same applies for emergency duty. If I am not at Mulago or lecturing, then I am in private practice, either in my clinic or other private hospitals. On many days, I forego lunch because I can’t leave patients in pain and go for food. That is why you don’t find fat doctors; we don’t have regular eating habits.
But when it comes to family life, I am very principled and give my family quality time.On Sundays, save for church, I don’t leave my house, that is time for me to interact with my children and wife, with exception of emergency operations at Mulago like the bomb blasts last year. Even if you called me for money, I would not oblige.
In my profession, one gets accustomed to unpleasant sights. I get patients with pus filled ears, rotting noses and throats. That is why a patient’s recovery is my bundle of joy, not money because it is like food that one can never get enough of.
Like many colleagues will tell you, my biggest challenge is poor pay, worsened by escalating food prices and then lack of equipment to handle cases that we inevitably refer abroad.