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Medical Students at Ugandan Catholic Institution Cautioned Against Prioritizing Monetary Gain in their Service

Credit: Ugandan Catholics online
Silas Isenjia

By Silas Isenjia

Kampala, 19 December, 2024 / 1:58 pm (ACI Africa).

Medical students graduating from St. Francis Schools of Health Sciences (SFRASH) in Uganda’s Catholic Diocese of Lugazi have been advised to stick to ethical practices and to avoid prioritizing monetary gain in their service delivery.

In his homily during the institution’s 10th graduation ceremony on Wednesday, December 18, the Apostolic Vicar for the Religious of Lugazi Diocese exhorted the graduands to always seek God’s guidance, and to stay away from misleading advice “from the world”.

“You are being sent out as medical practitioners because you have the spirit of God upon you,” Fr. John Chrysostom Maviiri said, adding, “As you are getting out, your parents are giving you some guidelines to take you through the life of work,  do not rely on the advice of the world.”

Fr. Maviiri urged the graduands to disregard worldly advice, explaining that some individuals in the medical field prioritize self-enrichment over ethical practice.

“Even in medical practice, there is corruption. People will advise you to buy medicine from a certain pharmacy even when the medicine is available in the hospital because it is in the pharmacies where they put their investment,” he said.

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The former Vice Chancellor of Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) reminded the graduands of the theme of the ceremony, “Strengthen healthcare service delivery through training for the betterment of humanity”, encouraging them to view their roles as a service to others rather than a means of personal gain.

“A health worker is therefore in the service of the people and not for his or her own sake. Go and do good service for the betterment of the people and not for your good,” he said in his December 18 homily.

Fr. Maviiri asked parents of those who were graduating not to burden their children with excessive responsibilities, explaining that their focus should remain on improving the lives of their patients.

“The satisfaction of the health worker is not in the monetary value but in the betterment of their patients, to ensure the patient is healed,” he said at the event of the Catholic institution that was established in 2013.

The Catholic Priest, who started his lecturing career at Uganda’s St. Mbaaga Major Seminary College in 1987 also cautioned the graduands against fabricating diagnoses to gain financial benefit, labeling such practices as unethical and driven by worldly influences.

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Medical Students at Ugandan Catholic Institution Cautioned Against Prioritizing Monetary Gain in their Service

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In his homily, Fr. Maviiri further encouraged the graduands to put God first in their professional lives, saying, “The first voice you should listen to is the voice of God.”

Fr. Maviiri highlighted the commitment of St. Francis of Assisi, the school’s patron saint, to serving the poor and his significant impact on humanity, and urged the graduands to emulate the saint in their medical practice.

 “St. Francis left a lot of wealth to make a difference, to have solidarity with the poor, to uplift the poor, and to make a difference among the poor,” he explained.

Fr. Maviiri also advised the graduands to exercise patience with their patients, acknowledging the anxiety often associated with illness. “It is only when you have God in your life that you will be patient with the sick and you will succeed in your medical career,” he said.

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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