By Jumah Kakomo.
Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has implored all health workers at all levels in Uganda to abide by the October 2013 at the 64th General Assembly of the World Medical Association (WMA) in Brazil statement on torture and use their medical experience to support torture victims in accordance with article 14 of the UN Convention against torture.
The WMA that was chaired by the late Dr. Margret Mungherera and reaffirmed its total condemnation of all forms of torture as defined by the UN convention against torture (CAT, 1984).
Dr Samuel Oledo Odongo president Uganda Medical Association (UMA) says torture in custody is a big problem in Uganda, and it mostly manifested between 2012 and 2016 with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) receiving over 1,000 allegations of torture while in police custody. During the Covid 19 pandemic, the UHRC received a total of 283 (202 male and 35 female torture complaints, out of which 150 were reported against the Uganda police force, 83 against the Uganda peoples defense forces (UPDF) and 05 against the Uganda prison service, yet Uganda is one of the 10 African countries with anti-torture legislation and signatory to the United Nations Torture Convention.
Oledo further disclosed some of the prominent case examples of torture in the recent past like torture victims of Uganda’s 2021 pre-election violence and the unexplained incarnations and alleged torture without court appearances of opposition leaders, youth and other supporters of various political groups like Maseruka of Kasese town who was detained and later released unable to walk and his body exhibited credible evidence of torture, arrest and torture with credible physical evidence of PEN Award Author Kakwenza Rukirabadhaija, delayed and sometimes alleged denial of access to specialized medical care for suspects with a recent example of legislators Muhammad Ssegirinya of Kawempe North, and Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye west Kampala districts.
“We are more than ready to assist those tortured persons who have been freed from custody and in custody for both basic medical care and highly specialized treatment outside the confines of military walls where it is uncertain if a conducive patient-doctor relationship exists” Oledo said.
Dr Hebert Luswata Secretary General UMA appealed to all health workers in case they are intimidated by the forces of torture not to hesitate to contact their chairperson of Ethics and professionalism, Dr. Hillary Aheisibwe.
