Rotary: Kadaga roots for free cancer screening after virtual run

BY ELVIS SENONO
The innovation of a virtual race for the ninth edition of the Rotary Cancer Run was hailed by several speakers at the completion of the event in Muyenga yesterday.
This is after the lockdown on social gatherings imposed by government as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic threatened the event.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, reckons it is time the country also found ways of ensuring cancer screening becomes accessible across the country.
“What we need as a country is the possibility of screening at the lowest level possible. I want to thank you for the current facilities but I don’t think they capture everybody so I think that it is our responsibility to ensure that at the lowest level of health centre II’s in this country so that everyone can be screened,”Kadaga said at the event yesterday.
This year’s run, held to promote healthy living and exercising as well as regular medical check-ups, had the majority of participants run, walk or exercise from the confines of their home or neighbourhoods.
“I also look forward to the day screening for cancer will be free as it is done in China. Every year every woman must undergo a test, screening at least for cervical cancer,” she said.
“But in this country by the time to you go to check you have stage three or four of cancer... I want to thank you for the awareness and I want you to continue with the work,” she said before cautioning the country against focusing solely on fighting Covid-19 and neglecting other health conditions.
“A lot is being said about Covid-19 but people are still dying of cancer and other diseases. So we thank all those contributing to the fight,” she added.
Proceeds from this year’s race will go toward building a bunker and linear accelerator machines at Nsambya Hospital.
To-date, the fight against cancer has raised more than Sh3b, part of which has been used to build the Rotary-Centenary Bank Cancer Centre in Nsambya Hospital and the Rotary Blood Bank in Mengo Hospital. Both are operational.
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