Doctors, nurses, and other health workers have been urged to refrain from using abusive language and instead embrace compassion, kindness, and respect when treating patients, noting that humane care is essential for healing, community trust, and the growth of health facilities.
The call was made by Rev. Fr. Peter Paul Ssemakula, the officer in charge of writing funding proposals for Masaka Diocese, during a Thanksgiving Mass held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mother Care Clinic Centre Masaka. Fr. Ssemakula represented Bishop Severus Jjumba at the event, which took place at the clinic premises in Masaka City.
Mother Care Clinic Centre Masaka specializes in the treatment of women’s health conditions, maternity services, and related care. Addressing health workers, Fr. Ssemakula emphasized that medical professionals carry a responsibility that goes beyond clinical expertise.
He noted that doctors, nurses, and medical officers must offer patients three essential gifts: unconditional love, care that heals both the body and the spirit, and proper attention during hospitalization to ensure full recovery.
“When these three values are visible in your work, patients will love the hospital, numbers will grow, and those you heal will refer others,” Fr. Ssemakula said.
He further urged health workers to speak kindly and respectfully to patients, cautioning against insulting or humiliating them—such as questioning their ability to pay medical bills—and encouraged a gentle, empathetic approach to patient care.
Fr. Ssemakula also called on staff to live by the principle of being a “neighbor” to one another in their daily duties. He explained that teamwork and mutual respect among doctors, medical officers, nurses, and patients play a critical role in the healing process.
“The doctor should be a neighbor to the medical officer, the medical officer to the patient, and the patient to the nurse. This unity allows healing to flow,” he said, adding that collaboration and respect are vital for quality healthcare delivery.
He strongly discouraged the practice of demanding payment before treatment, stressing that saving life and protecting health should always come first. Health facilities, he advised, can later agree on payment plans with patients or their relatives. “Life must come before money,” he emphasized.
Speaking at the same event, Dr. Herbert Kalema, a gynecologist and Director of Mother Care Clinic Centre Masaka, said the facility has made significant strides over its 10 years of operation, having successfully delivered more than 400 babies and conducted numerous surgeries on women suffering from fibroids.
Dr. Kalema noted that fibroids remain a common condition among women, attributing their prevalence to factors such as delayed childbearing, stopping at one child, genetic predisposition, and improper use of family planning methods.
He thanked the clinic’s supporters and staff, acknowledging that sustaining a private health facility remains difficult amid the current economic challenges.
Dr. Kalema highlighted several obstacles facing the clinic, including patients’ inability to clear medical bills due to poverty, the high cost of drugs, medical supplies, and equipment, and heavy taxation despite private facilities easing pressure on government hospitals.
He also cited frequent power outages that damage expensive medical equipment and the challenge of patients reporting to the clinic when illnesses are already advanced, often necessitating referrals to national referral hospitals such as Mulago, Kiruddu, and Kawempe in Kampala.
Dr. Kalema appealed to the government to extend greater support to private hospitals, noting their crucial role in healthcare delivery and decongesting public health facilities.
Former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture, Ronald Ssegawa, commended Dr. Kalema for his dedication, describing him as a model public servant who has balanced government service with private medical practice.
Ssegawa acknowledged the many challenges facing private health facilities but encouraged the clinic’s staff not to lose hope, assuring them that the government is gradually working to address the issues affecting the sector.
He urged the staff of Mother Care Clinic Centre Masaka to remain compassionate, especially toward mothers, in line with the facility’s name and mission.
“You are caring for the mothers of the nation. Respect your profession, which is ordained by God, and conduct yourselves with honor and dignity,” Ssegawa said.
The event attracted former clients, mothers who delivered at the facility, community members, and other well-wishers, marking a decade of service dedicated to women’s health and compassionate care.
