President Yoweri Museveni has expressed skepticism over the management of late Dr Cyprian Kizito’s health condition, saying the doctors could have done much more to save the Archbishop’s life.
Addressing mourners, President Museveni said basing on expert opinion he received from health experts in regard to Dr Lwanga’s health condition, he is not convinced that the doctors did enough especially since the deceased’s health condition was well known.
The president made the remarks while paying his last respects to the fallen cleric at Kololo Independence grounds on Tuesday.
“When I received the news of Archbishop Lwanga’s death, I called the police surgeon who was involved in his postmortem and they told me the condition was well known. I asked them if it was the case, what did they do about it when he was alive!” President Museveni said.
Yesterday, Dr Ssekitoleko read out a postmortem report to mourners at Lubaga Cathedral which indicated that the Archbishop succumbed to Ischemic heart disease following a Coronary Heart Thrombosis (heart attack caused by a blood clot). The cause of death according to Dr Ssekitoleko is consistent with the known illness of the late.
Dr Lwanga (68) was found lifeless in his room on Saturday morning and pronounced dead barely hours after he participated in religious events to mark Good Friday.
“Although religion gives us the comfort that when we die, it is because God has called us, I want our people to stay here as long as possible. Hence doctors should have explored all options when dealing with known conditions like the one that killed Archbishop Lwanga” the president said. “At some stage, those doctors will have to explain” he added.
Referring to the late Archbishop as a “brother,” Museveni said he ordered the official mourning because Dr Lwanga has been a distinguished Archbishop, a national leader of “a far different calibre” who made a serious contribution to this country while he lived.
He said while the late Archbishop Lwanga did not fight during the Luwero bush war, he was an NRA sympathizer whose contribution cannot be ignored.
“He did not fight but I’m sure he prayed for us. He, Cardinal Nsubuga, Bishop Yokana Mukasa and Muslim leaders like Prince Badru Kakungulu were some of our sympathizers” Museveni stated.
The late Archbishop was also given a state burial with a 17 gun salute at the ceremony held this morning at the Kololo independence grounds.
However Museveni has put on the spot his doctors and now wants them to explain and clarify how they failed to manage his condition.
“I am happy these days preists starting with Dr Lwanga, Archbishop Odama and others are now spearheading the efforts of wealth creation and teaching faithfuls how to get rid of poverty” Museveni noted.