Covid frustrates access to health services at landing sites
A medical worker from Reproductive Health Uganda takes a blood sample from one of the residents during the treat health camp at Kasenyi Landing Site. PHOTO/ PAUL ADUDE
The Wakiso District Community Development Officer (DCDO) Mr John Kyejjusa has said residents living at landing sites are still the most affected group in the delivery of health services due to decrease in income caused by Covid-19 outbreak.
“The financial capacity of the people at landing sites to meet the required health services is still low. The Covid-19 outbreak affected everyone but the earning capacity of these people was grossly affected; they cannot even meet the small costs of the health services,” he said.
Mr Kyejjusa made the remarks while addressing journalists during a treat health camp held at Kasenyi landing site on Thursday.
“The fact is health services in all locations have been badly hit by the Covid outbreak but the situation at landing areas is worse off, medical services are on the lower side here,” he added.
The Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) in charge Katego branch, Ms Sarah Lucy Kabatebe said there was need to carry out a needs assessment on the area through the local leaders to find out which services are more sought after by the people.
“There is need to carry out sensitising programmes for residents to get more informed about their health. This place is more vulnerable being a landing area with very little access to medical services, there are barely enough medical outlets to cater for all of them” she said.
Ms Kabatebe said the commonest health check during the camp was HIV counseling testing because of the proximity island dwellers.
The Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) Resource person, Youth, Peace and security project, Ms Agnes Namingo said there is need for local leader’s to help resident access health services indiscriminately.
“After elections, so many social issues came up and we couldn’t address them without addressing health. The local leaders are the ones close to the people, we shared with them a message of the need to provide health services for all the residents regardless of the political party they are affiliated to,” she said.
Ms Namingo said services like cervical cancer screening, HIV/Aids testing and counseling, breast cancer, among other diseases were being checked at the health camp.
“We are targeting local communities with the camp, Kasenyi being a landing site has a lot of activities which include commercial sex workers and many buyers which leads to a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS infection so they require a lot of medical attention and awareness,” she added.
