More than 3,000 turn up for free health camp

MBARARA. Mr Eliasaf Bamwetantara, 70, a resident of Kigarama Village in Ndeija Sub-county, Mbarara District, had lived with cataracts, an eye disease that impairs vision, since 2013.
He is one of the 3,033 people who turned up for free treatment at a health camp organised by the Archdiocese of Mbarara Development Association (AMDA) at Rushanje Catholic Parish in Rwampara at the weekend.

Mr Bamwetantara and 23 others who had cataract were operated.
“I started losing sight in 2013. I tried to go to doctors at Buhanama Health Centre II (in Itojo Sub-county, Ntungamo District). There were white doctors who wanted to screen us, but because we were more than 3,000 people, we spent the whole day and they could not work on us.
We were told to find them at Bucuro-Nyongozi Health Centre II (in the same sub-county) the following day,” says Mr Bamwetantara.

He adds: “We went there but I still failed to see the doctors. I came and waited for a while before going to Kinoni Health Centre IV. They told me after doing screening that my eyes are okay, though there was a small cloud. I asked them when I would be operated and they replied that it is not yet mature.”
Mr Bamwetantara went to Ruharo Mission Hospital in Mbarara but was told that operating him would cost Shs400,000, which he did not have.

Healthcare needs
“While I was still pondering my next move, I heard announcements about AMDA coming to treat people here at Rushanje. I am hopeful that I will see properly.
According to the treatment I have received with God as our saviour, I will be fine,” says Mr Bamwetantara.
AMDA has since 2015 held medical camps in Ntungamo, Bushenyi, Kiruhura and Mbarara districts.

Dr Rodrigo Nyinoburyo, the chairperson of AMDA medical council, says government should increase the minimum healthcare package in health centres countrywide to cater for cancer, dental complications, eye, ear, nose and throat conditions, citing overwhelming number of patients in rural areas where they have been.He says under the minimum package government health centres cater for maternal health, immunization, child health and management of common illnesses such as malaria, TB, and HIV/Aids.

“The specialised things like screening and treatment of cancer, surgery for eyes and dental extractions, are not included in the minimum package and people in rural areas are suffering with these conditions,” Dr Nyinoburyo says.
Dr Phionah Atuhebwe, who was part of the team of health workers, said government needs to equip health centres for Ugandans to live better lives other than relying on health camps organised by non-governmental organisations.
She says the overwhelming number of people seeking medical services in the camp manifests a breakdown in the health system.

“We have many people with a lot of challenges. They can’t afford cost of going to a referral hospital like Mbarara,” says Dr Atuhebwe.
The Rushanje parish priest, Fr Hilary Katusiime, says Ugandans have lost hope in the health services provided by the government because there are no medicines and a shortage of medical personnel in health units.
“We are giving our people a chance of getting medical services which they yearn for. There is no hope in government health services because they have become costly and most of the health facilities lack supplies,” Fr Katusiime says.
The health camp was organised in partnership with police, UPDF and Nation Medical Stores.

State of health sector

Government blamed: Buhweju MP Francis Mwijukye, a member of AMDA, blames the poor health services on poor leadership of the country, which he says prioritises political challenges over people’s welfare. “From the numbers you can see a breakdown in our health service delivery; where there is a health centre, there are no services. They are just structures either with no medicine or without staff,” Mr Mwijukye says.
Rwampara MP Charles Ngabirano commends AMDA for extending health services to the rural people and urges other NGOs to do the same.
Health ministry responds: Ministry of Health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona says government is working to ensure improvement in delivery of health services.

“There is an initiative to equip and standardise healthcare services. We are working on the referral system to help patients and those services that are not available at health centres, people should be referred to bigger hospitals. We appeal that people should go through the referral systems and they can be handled. Government has a deliberate plan of ensuring that all services are accessible to all Ugandans,’’ Mr Ainebyoona says.

[email protected]