Dr Miriam Mutero of C Care IHK. PHOTO/COURTESY
In a remarkable tale of resilience and determination, Dr Miriam Mutero, the general manager at C Care IHK, traces the roots of her extraordinary journey to childhood adversity.
Growing up with a father diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she found inspiration in her family’s struggles, sparking an early desire to pursue a career in medicine.
From the tender age of five, Dr Mutero actively started working towards her dream of becoming a doctor.
Regular hospital visits with her father fuelled her curiosity about Parkinson’s disease, laying the foundation for her future in the medical field. Tragedy struck at the age of 11 years when her father lost the battle to Parkinson’s, intensifying her resolve to succeed.
Faced with financial challenges, her mother’s strict discipline and her own hard work propelled her towards academic excellence.
“My mum had to struggle to get my siblings and I through school. She was also a disciplinarian so there was no option but to do well,” Dr Mutero narrates.
Dr Mutero’s leadership journey started as early as her childhood.
“I am a Seventh Day Adventist. There is a club in my church called the Pathfinder Club that trains young people in major life skills and it is what gave me the opportunity to lead. In medical school, I was a leader of foreign students at the time,” she recounts.
She went on to work at the Aga Khan Hospital and later moved to AAR and in a year’s time she was a team leader of the doctors.
“Then, I became the health centre manager for their city centre clinic in town, after which I went to Jubilee Insurance and became a manager before becoming the head of medical business at UAP Old Mutual. It was then that I moved on to C Care where I am the general manager of the hospital,” Dr Mutero recounts.
A former student of Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) Dr Mutero says perseverance and flexibility is key to career development. Reflecting on the evolving landscape of medicine, the medical doctor emphasises the importance of preventive measures, especially in the face of diseases such as Covid-19.
She advocates for a shift towards a healthier lifestyle to combat lifestyle-related diseases and highlights the crucial role of vaccines in disease prevention.
Expressing concern about the shortage of Ugandan-trained doctors, Dr Mutero suggests improving healthcare infrastructure and offering competitive living and working conditions to retain talent. She stresses the need for a larger budget allocated to healthcare in Uganda to compete globally.
As a female leader in a male-dominated field, Dr Mutero acknowledges the trials of proving herself.
“The big challenge is the perception about whether I can do what men do. Most times I have had to work twice as hard in order to measure up and deliver as much. Developing a relationship with my stakeholders has given us the confidence that I can excel in this leadership role. As women, we need to learn to be aggressive and be open to taking risks.”
On the emotional aspects of her job, Dr Mutero underscores the importance of emotional intelligence in dealing with challenging situations. She recounts a pivotal decision where she had to decide on whether to take in a patient, demonstrating the need for quick thinking and risk-taking in healthcare leadership.
“During the Ebola pandemic in 2022, we got an accident patient who was referred here from Mubende Hospital. The concern was whether to take him and risk the entire hospital. I decided to take him and put him in an isolation room and we were able to do the tests and luckily for us he was negative. We were able to continue to give him treatment,” Dr Mutero recounts.
She encourages women to actively pursue their dreams, asserting that every dream is valid. Her story serves as an inspiration for those facing adversity, showcasing the power of resilience.
