Health experts want bolstering of malaria control strategy

Health experts in Wakiso district have asked the authorities to adopt new measures to combat malaria cases.

Dr. Byarugaba Behike, the director of Umuthi Medical Services in Nansana said people should understand that it is not only the failure to sleep under insecticide treated mosquito nets that causes malaria but other factors also count.

"If we are relying on mosquito nets it's not sufficient. We need to reinforce the strategy of fighting malaria," Byarugaba said.

He argues that people need to adopt closing windows early enough or putting on long sleeved clothes to prevent mosquito bites.

The observation was made during a one week free medical check-up at the commissioning of the privately owned health centre in Nansana, Wakiso district to improve health service delivery in the district.

The free medical tests included malaria, pregnancies, cervical cancer tests and HIV and other general consultations among others.

Byarugaba noted that at Nansana they have discovered that a number of people cannot afford costs for treatment of non-serious cases, at the end they stay with the ailments which eventually lead to other health complications.

He added that there is a need for right information and massive sensitization on treatable diseases for instance malaria.

He added that from the statistics obtained during the free medical check-up, the common cases have been malaria and dental issues.

"Residents here fear high costs, the moment a patient learns that it's too expensive to treat a disease, they run away and stay sick without seeking further medical attention," Byarugaba said.

One of the directors, Danson Kamugisha, urged the health personnel to always uphold ethics of the medical profession by offering their best to their patients. A number of patients have been denied health services because they lack money.

Kamugisha said the health facility targets the ordinary people.

"The cost capacity of the hospital is very suiting to the ordinary people," he said adding "we have a provision for every person to get treatment."