In the middle of a hot day, with the scorching sun overhead, Ms. Maria Nalukenge, a 23 three-year-old from Ndejje wailed for help as she approached labour. Squeezed on a Boda Boda, with her handler, Maria couldn’t bear the discomfort anymore. She forced a wild cry which set the surrounding people amaze. Lucky for her, Drake Lule, a Red Cross Volunteer was just on his way back to office from a lunch break when she attracted his attention. He rushed to her rescue.
“She was riding on a Boda with two people. She kept on shouting with pain until she caught my attention. I helped to put her on the road side as I thought of what do to save her and the baby” Said Lule. A trained emergency responder with several skills in first aid and ambulance rescue, Lule was able to give immediate support that enabled Nalukenge deliver her baby twins. He then called on the Uganda Red Cross Ambulance that referred Nalukenge and babies to Mengo hospital to receive further medical attention. “People wanted to just carry her to the nearby hospital but I restrained them and assured them that I could handle and an ambulance was on the way. She was losing a lot of blood and the babies needed to feed. Thank God thee ambulance came on time and we did the referral”. Said Lule
“After delivering the baby, we all noticed that the stomach still had live movements and shortly we beheld a head. She was having twins. We were all shocked and that’s when the ambulance came in. I am very happy that we’ve had these babies out safely”. Lule added. Nalukenge’s husband was then called to join the team at Mengo hospital. He couldn’t thank Red Cross people enough. “I thank the Red Cross man who managed to attend to my wife very fast. The babies and my wife are in perfect condition” Said Guster Musisi, a proud father of two this Christmas eve (salongo).
Lule is a Uganda Red Cross volunteer attached to Kampala West branch along Rubaga road. He is a trained first aider and member of the National Disaster response team. He was joined by other ambulance crew (first aiders) who referred Nalukenge to Mengo hospital where she is being attended to by professional media personnel. The babies and mother are safe and sound. Uganda Red Cross, saving lives and promoting human dignity
