CHESA Fellow Spotlight: Martha Namugga

Dr. Martha Monicah Namugga is a general surgeon and urologist working in Mulago National Referral Hospital. Martha has great familiarity working with partners at Makerere University and UCSF, as she was a fellow in Global Partners in Surgery and Anesthesia (GPAS) and is currently a CHESA fellow. Over the past decade, Martha helped to build and coordinate the Kampala Advanced Trauma Care Course (KATC) which was initially offered to interns at Mulago Hospital. The KATC trains clinicians across many levels of training, essentially anyone who is interacting with and aiding patients. The coordinators of the program offer training opportunities, now traveling all over the country to deliver lessons and refreshers for safe perioperative care. Describing the objective of the program, Martha states “If we increase physician education and trauma management, we can at least impact the numbers of people dying from trauma”. Martha and the KATC team have formed a trauma care curriculum which they hope to make accessible and required for every physician working in Uganda. To increase the training’s visibility, they hope to eventually partner with the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Sub-Saharan Africa (COSECSA) and the Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda (AAU).  

In describing limitations in her setting, she cites shortages in supplies and access to blood as being the prohibiting factor to delivering safe surgical care in her hospital. As a solution to these shortages, Martha advocates that more legislation should be put forth to ensure funding and resources are reallocated to the country’s referral hospitals. In essence, specialized training to treat patients can only be practiced in a setting where there are supplies available to perform life-saving measures. Investing in medical supplies and stocking hospitals with all they need will also incentivize physicians to stay within their communities, as they will feel prepared to utilize all of the skills needed to treat every patient that comes through the door. Martha expresses that the role of the doctor is not only to physically treat the patient, but to advocate for their access to safe services and overall well-being. A difference could be made if doctors formed associations, circle together, and create a support system to appeal to lawmakers who ultimately form the country’s decisions. 

In her talk with CHESA, Martha reflects on her ambitions to become a physician and advocate for global surgery access. When she was in her third year of primary school, a national newspaper visited to interview the children, and she was selected speak to a reporter. In describing her aspirations, she proudly stated that she wanted to be a doctor. Her mother has kept the newspaper clipping to this day. “I feel like the work I do helps people. I’m still happy being a doctor. For example, treating a trauma patient and giving them time. When they get discharged because you did something extra for them, it makes my day.” In December, Martha is wrapping up her time as a UCSF CHESA Fellow, and we look forward to watching her grow into her role as a leader in global surgery.