UNBS ensurers safe medical equipment as Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the World Metrology Day

The Uganda National Beaure of standards (UNBS) has joined the world to celebrate the World Metrology Day that takes place every 20^th of May in its efforts to improve standards in the country

While addressing journalists at the Media Center in Kampala, the Deputy Executive Director-Compliance Directorate of UNBS Mr. Jhon Paul Musimami said that given the fact that health is so important, it is vital to ensure proper measurements for accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness in the health sector for tests such as body temperature, blood pressure, and body weight among other measurements that may cause the wrong diagnosis to patients if the equipment used is faulty.

“Wrong measurement results from unverified and uncalibrated equipment are very dangerous and costly in terms of wrong diagnosis and therefore wrong prescription,” he said in part

“Wrong diagnosis and treatment can result into irreparable health damage or even loss of life”. He added

Although the legal Metrology has a function to regulate measurements and measuring instruments through verification of the weights and measures used in trade to ensure health, safety, and fairness in trade, Mr. Deus Mubangizi the head of national meteorology laboratories Uganda noted that input of the fact that they are still using the old law enacted in the 1960s, a new draft law is within cabinet hoping that the next cabinet will pass it for a wider scope and better functionality to fit the current situation

Although in some parts of Uganda people especially shop keepers tend o use faulty weighing scales, Mr Deus assured that their teams traverse different areas to check and issue UNBS stickers to functional equipment and also put up 5 regional offices to ensure the staff traverse most if not the whole country.

Mr Deus pointed out the need for functional equipment both to consumers and business persons saying to the former, a lot of money can be spent in frequent purchase of goods due to insufficient quantities and to the latter, a business can collapse since they sell more than needed hence incurring losses to the business.

Uganda celebrates the day under the theme “measurement for health” with demonstration camps set up at Mengo on the 19^th may 2021, Mayanja memorial hospital in Mbarara on 20^th may and Mbale main Hospital to demonstrate how equipment calibrations and verification is done to ensure accuracy of medical equipment in different parts of the country.