Malaria illnesson the rise in Nkozi area

Nov 17, 2009

MALARIA infections top the list of patients seeking medical services at Nkozi Hospital. Doctors said the infections were worrying medical workers and heavily impacting on the hospital budget.

By Eddie Ssejoba

MALARIA infections top the list of patients seeking medical services at Nkozi Hospital, doctors have said.

The medical superintendent, Sister Josephine Nassuuna, said on Wednesday that the hospital was receiving about 60 cases of malaria daily.

She said the infections were worrying medical workers and heavily impacting on the hospital budget.

The hospital has launched a campaign to sensitise residents on the importance of using nets so that they can reduce the infection rate.

Receiving 150 treated mosquito nets from the Nkozi University Barclays Bank branch, Nassuuna said it was disturbing that other patients and their caretakers were also getting infections from the hospital.

“Some of the patients come here with different complications but end up getting infected with malaria because the hospital does not have enough mosquito nets,” she said.

Nassuuna observed that few people had the means of buying the nets due to financial constraints and lack of knowledge.

She noted that the hospital was devising means to acquire and distribute free nets to all patients and their caretakers as a way of fighting the disease.

Nassuuna thanked the bank for the contribution and called upon other organisations to emulate the gesture.
The branch manager, Alex Byamugisha, pledged more aid to the hospital, saying it was part of the bank’s social responsibility.

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