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800 eye, dental patients receive free treatment
Check-up. A health worker examines a patient with dental illness at Bikurungu Health Centre III in Rukungiri District on Saturday during a one-day health camp organised by the Lions Club members . PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
Increased cases. Mr Godfrey Tucungwirwe said the facility registers about 20 cases of patients with sight and dental illnesses but they are usually referred else where because they lack specialised personnel to handle them.
About 800 patients with dental and sight illnesses have been treated for free.
Patients received treatment during a one-day health camp organised by the newly created chartered Lions Club of Bwambara in Rukungiri District at Bikurungu Health Centre 111 on Saturday.
According to organisers, the objective was to give back to the community.
The President of the Lions Club of Bwambara, Mr Jotham Tugumisirize, in the company of other members of the club from Kampala and those within Rukungiri, lined up a team of dentists and ophthalmologists from Mulago hospital led by Dr Grace Ssali to attend to hundreds of patients.
“We are grateful to the North India Cultural Association that sponsored this health camp in which about Shs40 million was used to facilitate the exercise. We were able to purchase drugs and other medical equipment that was used,” said Mr Tugumisirize.
He was flanked by the Monitor Publications manager-in-charge of circulation, Mr Justus Katungi, on the eve of the health camp.
Mr Tugumisirize said their team distributed sanitary towels to about 300 girls of Bwambara Secondary School besides giving career guidance to all the students in the same school.
The official-in-charge of Bikurungu Health centre 11, Mr Godfrey Tucungwirwe, said the facility registers about 20 cases of patients with sight and dental illnesses but they are usually referred to Nyakibale Hospital in Rukungiri Town about 30 kms away because they do not have specialised personnel to handle them.
Mr Tucungwirwe said there is need for government to fund a research programme to generate a report on the increased cases of such complications and also come up with solutions.
“We appeal to the government for increased funding for health education because the current Shs200,000 allocated to health education is too little to handle hundreds of patients that visit our facility per quarter. If we can get about Shs4m per year for health education, this dental problem will be solved,” he said.
The Lions Club members promised to organise more health camps to help the needy.
Mr Tugumisirize said his facility registers about 1,500 out-patients and about 45 pregnant women per month and some of them come from the neighbouring districts of Kanungu and Mitooma adding that drugs from National Medical Stores worth Shs3.7m per quarter is not enough.
He said other common diseases in the area include malaria, cough, skin diseases, and diarrhoea among other diseases related to harsh climatic conditions.
The mayor for Bikurungu Town Council, Mr Arthur Tugume, applauded the Lions Club of Bwambara for their generosity and called on other well-wishers to supplement government efforts of delivering quality health services.
Background
Cause. Mr Tucungwirwe said cases of dental illnesses are common because of poor oral hygiene in the local communities.
The affected. He said majority of the patients affected by sight and dental diseases are the elderly and children.
