Mukono residents decry high cost of healthcare

Residents from Greater Mukono area have decried the high cost of medical services. The residents said prevalent poverty has made the situation worse. 

This was revealed during a health medical camp at Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited Lugazi (Scoul) on Saturday organised by the Indian Women’s Association in conjunction with the Mehta Group of Companies. 

Andrew Mukasa, 45, a resident of Kiyindi Island in Buikwe District, said he has been having dental issues for a while but he is unable to raise money to get to the dentist.

“Two of my brothers and I have been disturbed by this dental issue for a while and we could only use herbal medicine to reduce the pain,” he said. 

Ms Teddy Mutesi, a resident of Kayanja Village in Mukono District, said she was trying to sell house items to raise money to take care of her four children with skin problems in vain.

“With the prevailing poverty, the little money we have is for survival. As I was trying to reach out to a friend to get money out of household items, she informed me of the health camp at Scoul. I immediately knelt to thank God for this chance. I have been worked on and given all the necessary medicine,” she said.

Most of the patients who thronged the free two-day medical camp were from different villages in Buikwe, Buvuma, Mukono, and Kayunga districts that make up Greater Mukono. 

Dr Mishra Satchidananda, the head of Mehta Hospital, said there was a need to extend a medical camp to residents because most people are working in industrial areas and need general body check-ups that some of them can’t afford.

“People here are facing a lot of challenges in day-to-day life. So, their health is important to us and need the best healthcare,” Dr Satchidananda said. 

He added that cancer cases are on the increase because of stressful life, eating unhealthy foods, use of plastics, and pollution in societies. 

“These days, we see that many young people are getting cancer at an early age. This camp helps to detect cancer cases and enable patients to get assistance early enough,” he said.

He also noted that malaria is the most common disease in the area with 34 percent positive cases out of more than 500 patients attended to per day in the out-patient department. 

“Malaria is followed by HIV/Aids. We have a team of eight health officials from Mehta that is moving to remote areas in Lugazi every week and these also help in counselling to see that we reduce spreading the virus,” Dr Satchidananda said. 

Mr Anil Kumar Shah, the chief executive officer of Scoul, said most of the women in the community are ignorant about the cancer signs and that they only seek medical help when it’s too late to save their lives. 

He said with such introduction of health camps, they will sensitise them on the same.
“Mehta Group is at the frontline with the community to help because we have to give back and must ensure that they are healthy,” he said. 

The Chairperson of the Indian Women’s Association in Uganda, Ms Patel Falguni, said during the medical camp, they worked on more than 1,000 patients and looking forward to doing six more medical camps this year in different parts of the country. 

Origin

Most of the patients who thronged the free two-day medical camp were from different villages in Buikwe, Buvuma, Mukono, and Kayunga districts.