John Baptist Mukasa

John Baptist Nsubuga Mukasa (January 1967 - June 2021), was a Ugandan neurosurgeon, who served as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Mulago National Referral Hospital. He concurrently served as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Neurosurgery at Makerere University School of Medicine. He died in Kampala, from complications of COVID-19 infection on 29 June 2021.^[1]

John Baptist Mukasa
Born	(1967-01-01)January 1, 1967 Kawolo Hospital, Uganda
Died	June 29, 2021(2021-06-29) (aged 54) Mulago National Referral Hospital
Nationality	Ugandan
Citizenship	Uganda
Alma mater	Lugansk State Medical University Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Occupation	Neurosurgeon
Years active	2007 — 2021
Title	Consultant Neurosurgeon at Mulago National Referral Hospital

Background and education

He was born c. 1967 in the Central Region of Uganda. After attending local primary and secondary schools, he was awarded a scholarship to study human medicine at Luhansk State Medical University, in Ukraine, graduating with a medical degree from there. Later, he went to the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China, where he specialized as a neurosurgeon. His areas of sub-specialization included (a) neurotrauma (brain and spinal cord) (b) pediatric neurosurgery and (c) spinal cord surgery.^[2][3]

Career

At the time of his death, John Baptist Mukasa was one of only 13 neurosurgeons in Uganda, whose national population was estimated at 47 million.^[2] He is remembered fondly by his colleagues, co-workers, neurosurgeons, residents, medical students that he taught and mentored and the many patient he operated on and/or went out of his way to assist. These include Juliet Sekabunga Nalwanga, Uganda's first female neurosurgeon who was trained by Mukasa.^[2][3] Dr Mukasa also had operating privileges at UMC Victoria Hospital in Bukoto, in the northern part of Kampala, Uganda's capital city.^[2]

Personal

Dr Mukasa is survived by a widow and two sons.^[2]

See also

• Betty Mpeka

References

1. Chris Kiwawulo (29 June 2021). "Senior neurosurgeon Dr. Mukasa succumbs to COVID-19". Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
2. Saeed Kamali Dehghan (9 August 2021). ""A great blow to Uganda": Surgeon John Baptist Mukasa dies of Covid". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
3. Adela Wu (17 July 2022). "Pandemic Loss: Pioneering Ugandan Neurosurgeon Was A 'Servant Of The People'". National Public Radio. Washington, D.C., United States. Retrieved 22 October 2022.

External links

• Covid-19: Medics who have died in line of duty As of 1 July 2021.