Delayed delivery of boat ambulances irks islanders

Residents on islands across the country will have to wait a little longer to receive modern boat ambulances following the government’s delay to procure the last batch, Daily Monitor has established.

 So far, the government has procured seven of the 15 boat ambulances budgeted for.

The boat ambulances which are expected to help in the evacuation of patients in case of emergencies on water bodies have since August been kept at UPDF Marine base in Entebbe Municipality.

The last batch of the boat ambulances had been expected to be delivered in October.

Some of the benefiting areas include Kalangala, Buvuma, Namayingo, Mukono, Serere, Amolatar, Mayuge, Jinja, Buliisa, Kikuube, Nakasongola and Kabale.

The delay to deliver the boat ambulances to the various areas has since caused concern among islanders.

 Mr Rajab Ssemakula, the Kalangala District LC5 chairperson, said the boat ambulance was supposed to be stationed at Mwena Landing site to handle health emergencies.

Mr Ssemakula added that a few months ago government informed them that all new boat ambulances will be stationed at the UPDF marine base in Entebbe.

“And whoever will need to use them [boat ambulances] will have to write to Ministry of Health. After using them, they are supposed to be returned to the marine base,” he said.

But the district chairperson wonders how this arrangement will be effective since Kalangala comprises 84 islands, with many distant from each other.

“We are supposed to first report any emergency case in the district to the ministry and then be able to access the ambulance, how does that work?” he asked.

Dr Baker Kanyike, the Buvuma District health officer, questioned the government’s motive for keeping the boat ambulances at Entebbe when there are health emergencies on the islands.

Mr Kanyike revealed that a team from the government only inspected the proposed docking site and never returned.

“It [boat ambulance] was brought to the island once and taken back to Entebbe. We hope it will be returned to help us handle emergencies here,” he said.

Buvuma has a total of 52 habitable islands with no general hospital. Most health emergencies are referred to either Jinja Regional Hospital or Kawolo Hospital –both on the mainland.

According to Mr Emmanuel Ainebyona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, all the boat ambulances will be delivered to beneficiary districts after they have received the last batch.

“All ambulances will be delivered at once after the supplier has delivered the last batch. It is not true that they will be stationed at Entebbe forever,” he said.

However, Mr Ainebyona didn’t disclose when the last batch will be delivered.

The Shs8.9b boat ambulances were procured using funding from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi).

Each boat is estimated to have cost $180,000 (approximately  Shs642m).

 Each of the 14 boats will have spine boards, an isolator, oxygen saturation equipment, blood glucose monitoring equipment, resuscitator kits, suction machines and two oxygen cylinder-10 litres each.

Mr Alfred Besigensi, the acting Kabale District health officer, revealed that they are using ordinary dugout canoes to handle health emergencies on the 28 islands of Lake Bunyonyi.

“Even our staff and village health team members risk their lives using dugout canoes to conduct health education and promotion activities. Lack of specialised means of transport has remained a big challenge to health service delivery on Lake Bunyonyi where we register at least one emergency case every month,” Mr Besigensi said

Mr Sulaiman Musoke, a councillor representing Bussi Island in  Wakiso District, said although they improvised a wooden boat fitted with an engine to ease transporting patients to hospitals in Entebbe, they are currently weighed down by rising fuel prices.

“Someone on Zinga Island who wants to take a patient to Entebbe has to part with Shs100,000 for fuel besides some allowance given to the one piloting the boat. We ask the government to at least provide us with free fuel, especially for emergency cases,” he says

The situation is not any different for residents on  Kisima I, Kisima  II, Wabitooke and Samoka Islands in South Division, Jinja City who do not have any standby boat for transporting patients.

The four islands on Lake Victoria use  Kisima I Health Centre II.

Dr Stephen Banonya, who works in Jinja City health department, said Ministry of Health officials visited the Islands and promised a boat ambulance.

“It becomes difficult, especially at night to transport a patient to the mainland. Residents have to use a local boat, which is very risky. We will be grateful if we get a modern boat,” he said.

For proper management of the water ambulances, the government has already set up a joint ambulance management system comprising a team from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.

Water transport

Despite the numerous lakes and rivers, Uganda’s water transport network remains one of the most forgotten sectors. Most boats on Ugandan lakes are obsolete, unlicensed or uninsured.

The existing marine police, with its thin strength, checks smuggling, rather than safety on the lakes. This unregulated water transport has resulted in many fatal boat accidents due to unchecked overloading, sailing on undesignated routes and the use of defective boats and canoes.

Statistics from Lake Victoria Basin Commission reveal that 5,000 people die yearly in Lake Victoria as a result of drowning. Records from Swim Safe Uganda, a local NGO training Kalangala islanders on water safety skills, indicate that 21 people drowned between 2016 and October 2017.

Compiled by Al- Mahdi Ssenkabirwa,Eve Muganga, Robert Muhereza ,Sylvester Ssemugenyi & Denis Edema

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