Lira Students Seek Funding to Advance AI Robot Protecting Health Workers from Ebola and COVID-19

LCC TV NEWS

LIRA CITY, Uganda – A team of secondary school students from Dr. Obote College in Lira City is appealing for financial support to advance the development of an innovative medical robot designed to protect frontline health workers from highly infectious diseases like Ebola and COVID-19.

The "Doctorian Medical Assistant," a prototype developed by the students, is an AI-powered autonomous delivery robot capable of transporting medicines and blood samples within hospital settings. By operating remotely, the device significantly reduces direct physical contact between healthcare workers and infected patients, mitigating the risk of disease transmission . The robot navigates wards using a combination of artificial intelligence, LiDAR sensors, and pre-mapped hospital layouts, verifying patient identities through AI-powered recognition before delivering medication .

The innovation was born from the team's participation in the 2026 Stanbic National Schools Championship boot camp, a programme designed to equip young Ugandans with practical skills in innovation and entrepreneurship . According to James Angura, the Head of ICT and patron of the school's ICT Club, the institution has spent the last four years nurturing robotics and technology innovation, with the Doctorian Medical Assistant being its most significant achievement .

While the students have successfully developed a working prototype in its second phase, they face a significant hurdle in achieving their full vision. The team aims to integrate voice interaction technology, allowing patients and medical staff to communicate directly with the robot. This third phase of development would also see upgrades including temperature-controlled medicine storage, AI-powered hospital mapping, multi-robot coordination, and integration with Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) . However, the students say a lack of funding is the primary obstacle slowing down the project's progression .

Despite the financial challenges, the Doctorian Medical Assistant has already garnered national recognition. The students recently won the Gold Award for Impact and Adaptability at the 2026 National Science Fair Exhibition in Kampala, competing against participants from 24 regions of Uganda . This achievement follows their victory as the overall winner of the SESEMAT Regional Robotics and Innovation Competition in the Lango sub-region .

Senior Six student and team member Alum Mary Edrinah, whose passion for coding inspired her involvement, has pledged to continue working on the project and has called upon fellow female students to join the next phase of development . The school's leadership has outlined an ambitious strategy to transform the institution into a centre of innovation and academic excellence, appealing to the government, private sector, and development partners to help turn this life-saving technology into a practical solution for Uganda's healthcare system .