By Benjamin Jumbe
Dr. Margaret Mungerera, one of Uganda’s senior consultant psychiatrist and former Womer World Medical Association President has died.
Dr Mungerera the first female and first Ugandan to head the world Medical association died on Saturday morning in India where she had gone for medical treatment.
The president of the Uganda Medical Association Dr. Fred Bisso has confirmed the news noting that she succumbed to cancer.
“She died in India she only flew out of the country on Thursday this week direct from hospitalization in Nsambya hospital where she had been admitted for a week. She had travelled to continue with her anti-cancer treatment” Dr Fred Biso said.
Dr Biso described her death as a great blow to the health fraternity.
“It is a very big blow to us as a fraternity we hope the country learns from this huge loss to put our own health sector in such a state that it can take care of our own people.” Dr Bisso said.
Dr Bisso says the late had done a lot for the country and was still doing a lot and had put Uganda on the global map with the fraternity having a lot of hope in her.
Dr Mungerera’s death coincides with the world cancer day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
At the time of her death, Dr Mungerera was the chair of the International association of medical regulatory Authorities a post she was elected to in October last year 2016.
She is a founder member of Uganda Women Medical Doctors Association and was the first woman in Uganda to be elected president of the Uganda Medical Association in 1998 and again in 2010.
Margaret Mungherera served as the president of the world Medical association from October 2013 until October 2014.
She took up office in October 2013 becoming the first woman President of the WMA since 2002 and the first African woman, having been elected unopposed by delegates at the WMA’s annual General Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand.
As President of World Medical Association Dr. Mungherera facilitated policy interventions to promote good ethical practice in the world and champion human rights of patients and physicians.
Dr Mungherera the first born of six children-three girls and three boys was born on October 25 1957 to Seezi and Joyce Mungherera.
She went to Kijjabwemi Primary school in Masaka, Nakasero Primary school in Kampala and Gayaza High school.
She later joined Makerere University medical school and the London school of Tropical medicine and Hygiene.