Africa-Press – Uganda. Authorities are concerned by the high disease burden in Busoga District, which they say is being manifested in untested and untreated cases of malaria, and several dental and optical cases, among other afflictions.
This was revealed during a three-day medical camp at Kasambira Village, Bugulumbya Sub-county, Kamuli District, organised by Precious Kids Foundation.
Busoga Kingdom Minister of Health, Dr Andrew Balyeku, said Busoga Sub-region has been plagued by a myriad of old and new diseases, and appealed to people, especially the elderly, to always go for check-ups.
“The health situation in Busoga is still bad, which has prompted subjects to start believing that diseases are part of them; we should stop that mentality and become disease-free,” Dr Balyeku said prior to the medical camp that ended at the weekend.
Dr Ronald Musenze, a board member of Precious Kids Foundation, described Busoga as being “vulnerable and exceedingly needy” as far as the demand for medical services is concerned.
“There is an overwhelming need for medical services; many people have issues with the eyes, kids come with tumors, and despite being a fertile land, some are conspicuously malnourished”, he said.
He added: “People go to hospitals and don’t find medicine, most come with prescriptions and if we have the medicine we assess, look at the authenticity of the prescriptions and help where we can.”
Dr Musenze, who is also the chief executive officer of Air Water Earth (AWE) Engineers Limited, one of the co-sponsors of the medical camp, said their role is to create awareness among people so that they don’t wait to fall sick and go to hospital.
Instead, he says they should learn more of household and community based preventive approaches to a number of the avoidable diseases that could otherwise pose additional financial predicaments in an already financially stressed community.
AWE Engineers a civil, environmental and project management consultants, is involved in various engineering consultancies, including roads construction, eater supply and environment and social safeguards projects, among others.
Another co-sponsor is Y’s Men International, a service group of the YMCA with a special consultative status with the United Nations.
Precious Kids Foundation chief executive officer and founder, Ms Precious Scovia Namazzi, said they were encouraged to come on board after realising that many people suffer from easily curable diseases but lack money for consulting a doctor or getting treatment.
Ms Damalie Nantongo, an administrator at the same organisation, said the medical camp drew 4,704 residents, with most cases being dental optical and untested or untreated malaria.
She said they distributed 500 eyeglasses, while dental cases were also prevalent, with some residents coming for as many as three procedures, including cleaning, refilling and extraction.
Dr Anita Nansozi Mukholi, the in-charge of Buzaya health sub-district in Kamuli, said many residents quietly suffer with different afflictions and fail to visit health facilities for various reasons, but such medical camps draw multitudes.
Shaminah Naigaga, a resident of neighbouring Kiyunga Village, said she came for a general body check-up, including checking her High Blood Pressure, and testing for Hiv/Aids, among others.
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