Students of Dr. Obote College in Lira City are appealing for financial support to further develop a robot they have designed to assist health workers in treating patients with highly infectious diseases such as Ebola and COVID-19. The innovation is intended to reduce direct contact between health workers and patients during disease outbreaks, helping to minimise the risk of infection while improving healthcare service delivery.
The robot is operated remotely through an internet connection using a mobile application developed by the students, making it capable of delivering medicines to patients and transporting blood samples to laboratory personnel without requiring direct contact between health workers and infected patients.
James Angura, the Head of ICT and patron of the ICT Club, explained that although the learners have the creativity and determination to develop innovative projects, inadequate funding remains a major challenge. According to Angura, the school is committed to promoting science and technology among students; many of them are currently working on several technological projects, with one of the most significant being a robot called the “Doctorian Medical Assistant.” It’s currently in its second phase.
The third phase of the project will involve developing the robot to directly interact with patients through voice communication. However, Angura said this will require more finances for the purchase of equipment.
The students behind the innovation said they developed the robot to improve the speed and efficiency of healthcare service delivery in hospitals. They explained that they have programmed the robot to perform specific medical support tasks and believe that its use will significantly reduce the risk of healthcare workers contracting highly infectious diseases while caring for patients.
Dr. Obote College student’s ICT team successfully qualified to join over 200 shortlisted schools for the 2026 Stanbic National Schools Championship boot camp, competed in the regional selection stages but ultimately did not advance to the 12 national finalists. However, with the knowledge gained from the boot camp, the team developed the Doctorian Medical Assistant.
Diana Ondoga, the Manager of Corporate Social Investment at Stanbic Bank Uganda, explained that students with such innovations should be supported to widen their mindset in order to not only develop personally but also be able to create jobs for others. “And I believe they will be inspired or encouraged because your mindset now shifts from thinking I’m limited,” she added-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
