President Yoweri Museveni welcomes a planned initiative by a local company Microhaem Scientific and Medical Supplies Limited and partners to establish a medical diagnostics and pharmaceutical products plant in the country.

While meeting a delegation from the company which trades as Microhaem Scientifics (MHS) and their business partners on Thursday 9 December at State House Nakasero, the President assured the group that he was prepared to support initiatives aimed at producing diagnostic tools and human drugs locally in the country. He said that such facilities would also benefit regional and continental demand for human medicines.

“I should support the partnership. I tell you that there is a very big demand for human drugs in the country, region and beyond. The demand is not only in Uganda, the matter affects the entire East African region and the continent. It’s not just a matter of manufacturing but also responding to the question of high demand,” said President Museveni.

The President observed that the government spends large sums of money on purchasing human medicines and diagnostic tools from abroad. He further noted that by reviewing annual imports in the country, the importation of drugs is very huge and continues to expand. 

Mr. Museveni suggested to the investors in the planned partnership that if they chose to make drugs in the country they would be supported by available indigenous raw materials to harness the manufacturing process. He cited the presence of the cinchona tree which was originally found in Southern America and is used in the manufacture of the antimalarial drug quinine. 

“Here in Uganda, we have many products of that kind that can be obtained from local green vegetation. If the manufacturers of the pharmaceuticals come with the diverse knowledge to make a variety of medical products, it would be much better for the country and them [investors] being assured with the market,’’ he added. 

The Head of delegation and MHS Chief Executive Officer Mr Cedric Akwesigye who led the discussion emphasized that the Microhaem Scientifics Supplies Ltd (MHS) venture, a Ugandan owned company founded in 2012, is a huge investment aimed at solving the problem of lack of technical support on medical equipment and quality of medical supplies in the country.

“In record time of performance MHS has partnered with government to set up well established medical laboratories for the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL) at the border points of Malaba, Elegu, Mutukula. These labs drastically reduced the turnaround time for COVID-19 test results especially for the truck drivers. So far the company medical facilitation capacity has supported 500,000 Covid-19 tests,” he said.

Mr Akwesigye also noted that the president’s stewardship has championed the growth of local companies like MHS to reach stages of partnering with reputable global business companies. He pledged MHS’ continued strategic investment aimed at solving societal medical and diagnostic needs.

MHS is partnering with Desert Laboratories Inc from the USA for purposes of putting in place a plant aimed at manufacturing medical laboratory molecular tests for Covid-19, HIV, and tuberculosis among others. 

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