Rotarians raise concern over exorbitant private hospital charges

The rotarians of Kampala Sunshine have expressed concern over the high cost of treatment in private hospitals, which they say has become a significant barrier to healthcare access for low-income earners.

"Poverty continues to hinder the majority of the population from accessing quality healthcare services. Government health centers are underfunded, leading to a reliance on private hospitals, which often charge exorbitantly," said Anna Nkutu, District Governor for Rotary District 9213.

She was speaking at the swearing in ceremony of the new president for rotary Kampala sunshine where they participated in a number of activities including a health camp, blood donation, tree planting among others at Naguru Katali primary school in Kampala on June 08, 2024.

Ms Nkutu urged private hospitals to be more considerate and offer free services to their communities through social responsibility.

She also emphasised the importance of healthy diets and physical exercise to curb the rising non-communicable diseases.

“Many times, one of the challenges that affect our communities is access to medical care. Health centres are far away from many people and even if they walk long distances to get medical care, they won’t find drugs at government hospitals and yet they cannot afford treatment at private hospitals,” Ms Nkutu said.

Newly installed President of the Rotary Club of Kampala Sunshine, Jeff Ssekandi, called on the government to provide quality services in all public health facilities.

He highlighted Rotary's commitment to serving the community through education on disease prevention and promoting healthy practices.

“We educate the community on how to keep the environment, stay clean, and encourage them to do routine body check-ups,” Mr Ssekandi said.