A report produced by Baylor College of Medicine in conjunction with medical specialists from Mulago hospital indicates a huge number of people in Kamwenge district suffer from eye and dental problems.
This compilation was after a medical camp organised by the Rotary Club of Kololo in conjunction with ministry of health and Baylor College of Medicine, at Ntara health centre IV, in Kamwenge. The camp started on November 17 and ended on November 19.
The medical camp gave free services to Kamwenge, Rubirizi, Kyenjojo and Ibanda districts. According to the clinical head of diagnostics at Mulago, Dr Rosemary Byanyima, who doubles as the president of Rotary Club of Kololo, they received at least 5,000 people with various health problems, but shockingly, a great number of these were found to have eye and dental problems.
“About 30 per cent of these people needed specialists in eyes and dental care. The number was really overwhelming,” Byanyima said, adding that bone and liver infections were also rampant.
She recommended that government through the ministry of Health posts specialists in these districts so as to counter the high rate.
“We realised many people are actually poor and can’t afford travelling to Mulago national referral hospital for specialists in these infections. At least there can be special arrangement for regular visits to these places by specialists because the truth is, this number is high because there are no specialists in most of the health centres there,” Dr Byanyima said.
According to Byanyima, most people who had eye problems needed glasses to improve their vision while others were prescribed drugs. Most dental infections were as a result of people failing to clean their teeth regularly.
She, however, decried the growing vice of bribery even in this poor population.
“People were all over trying to bribe our medical team with Shs 1,000 so that they could be worked on faster. How can you bribe someone who has brought free services to you?” she wondered.
Dr Byanyima said Rotary Club of Kololo injected Shs 57m in the exercise, after getting a tip from the Kitagwenda MP, Abasi Agaba, that the area was facing health challenges.
UNDERSTAFFING
According to a doctor at Ntara health centre IV, Dr Sebastian Bitsigaire, health centres in Kamwenge are understaffed and poorly- facilitated.
“On a daily basis, we receive over 300 patients but we have only 20 staff members, some of whom are not permanent. You find that the ratio is one health officer to about 30 patients. Additionally, we have three offices for all the staff,” Dr Bitsigaire said.
He also added that three staff members share a room for accommodation, despite each having a family. Like Byanyima, Bistsigaire said they register a high number of patients with eye defects and bone problems, but always refer them to Mulago.