UCI sends home 100 stranded cancer patients

At least 100 cancer patients who have been stranded at Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) following the suspension of public transport have been transported back to their homes today.

Dr Jackson Orem the executive director UCI said most of these patients are outpatients from the Northern and Eastern parts of the country who got stranded due to lack of transport means.

“The patients are supposed to be outpatients coming in and going back, but with the current circumstances they cannot find where to stay and transport. The first time we took about 100, and the number this time round is the same. The national taskforce this time round offered two buses as part contribution as well as food,” Dr Orem said.

However, a social worker at the institute identified as Ronnie said the number of patients who were transported today stands at 48 with 27 heading to northern part of the country and the rest to the east.

Some of the stranded patients still at the institute said, they are faced with lack of food.

They say that though the hospital started providing meals on Thursday, not everyone was able to get food.

A cancer a patient, only identified as Elizabeth revealed that she has been feeding on only millet porridge, since she came to the hospital for review.

Ms Elizabeth narrated that she was able to come to the institute for review with the help of their Member of Parliament.

“We tried to talk to the RDC he was not helpful, my husband talked to our MP who managed to get a car. So me and my friend we raised Shs 200,000 for fuel from Butaleja to Kampala but now I left people at home without money so I am stranded here,” she said.

Some of the stranded patients have been at the institute for four months while most of them have been there for two months.