Uganda has 160 ambulance deficit, says Health PS Atwine
A number of ambulances parked at the National Ambulance Emergency Coordination centre at Mulago hospital. Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, has said Uganda has 160 ambulance deficit. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The Bukwo District health officer, Dr Collins Satya, applauded UNRA for responding timely to save the lives of the many people. “This has been the biggest challenge because the district had no functional ambulance except turning district vehicles as an alternative to work as ambulance and yet they had medical equipment,” Dr Satya explained.
Ugandans are prone to avoidable deaths due to lack of sufficient ambulance services, the Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, has said.
To bridge the gap, she said the government needs to acquire 259 ambulances.
Dr Atwine said this in a speech read for her by Dr John Nambotte Waniaye, the commissioner of emergency health services at the Ministry of Health, during the handover of two ambulances donated by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to Kween and Bukwo districts.
UNRA donated the ambulances under the Kapchorwa-Suam-Kitale-Eldoret bypass roads project.
Dr Atwine said road traffic accidents are now the top causes of death and admissions in government hospitals across the country.
She added that the country requires 460 road and water ambulances yet at the moment only 201 are available.
Under the Covid-19 emergency care response and following the presidential appeal for vehicles, the ministry received 11 donated ambulances.
“As part of Covid-19 preparedness and response plan, the government through the Ministry of Health, is procuring 76 more ambulances to reduce the gap further, that will initiate a regional command and control system,” Dr Atwine said.
She explained that in 2018/19, 3,500 people died as a result of traffic accident injuries.
The Mbale-Kapchorwa-Bukwo could be one with the highest risk roads in the Elgon Zone.
“The new road from Kapchorwa to Suam will solve one of the nightmares of the people of Bukwo but inevitably comes with an increased burden of road traffic accidents. One of the gaps has been lack of care at the scene of emergency and lack of transportation of the victims to the nearest health facility,” Dr Atwine explained.
Uganda has a total of 220 black spots on highways where accidents are likely to occur which need 24/7 ambulance coverage. Dr Atwine said that one ambulance can cover 10 black spots.
“These ambulances being handed over to the districts of Kween and Bukwo today will serve a big milestone to help cover the black spots on these roads,” she said
According to Dr Atwine, the World Health Organisation emergency care assessment in 2017 indicated that only 25 per cent of Ugandans access ambulance vehicles.
“The contribution made by UNRA to support the people of Kween and Bukwo is quite commendable,” Dr Atwine explained.
She added: “As Ministry of Health, we recommend other ministries, departments and agencies to bench mark UNRA in procurement of ambulances. Bukwo and Kween, you join a class of privileged few with standard ambulances.”
In a speech read for her by Mr Joseph Otim, the director of road maintenance, the UNRA Executive Director, Ms Allen Kagina, said: “These new roads come with enormous challenges as drivers tend to drive at high speed and end up causing accidents along the road. This component is basically to respond to such fatalities because Bukwo and Kween operate with no functional ambulance in case of emergencies,” Eng Otim said.
UNRA is undertaking the construction of Kapchorwa-Bukwo-Suam road, which is being constructed by a Chinese company. The 73-kilometre road is funded by the government of Uganda and African Development Bank
The Kween District Woman MP, Ms Lydia Chekwel and her Bukwo counterpart, Ms Everlyn Chemutai, applauded UNRA for its timely intervention, noting that many pregnant mothers could not afford to access health facilities due to lack of transport and also coupled with the bad terrain.
“This will reduce women dying in rural areas because they will be able to access health services early. These women have been trekking long distances due to lack of transport,” Ms Chekwel said.
The Kween District Health Officer, Dr Godfrey Chemos, said the district has been operating with no functional ambulance, forcing many pregnant mothers to deliver on the way while emergency cases that are referred to Mbale Hospital have to find their own means.
“The intervention by UNRA was a good gesture to support these vulnerable women deep in rural areas,” Dr Chemos said.
The Bukwo District health officer, Dr Collins Satya, applauded UNRA for responding timely to save the lives of the many people. “This has been the biggest challenge because the district had no functional ambulance except turning district vehicles as an alternative to work as ambulance and yet they had medical equipment,” Dr Satya explained.
The Kween LC5 chairman, Mr Paul Makijanji and Mr Peter Sikora, the Bukwo LC5 chairman, commended government for the construction of the Kapchorwa-Suam-Bukwo road.
