Aceng defends state of cancer care

KAMPALA - In a startling turn of events, health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng found herself in the hot seat on December 10, 2024, fiercely countering accusations that Uganda's cancer care infrastructure is woefully inadequate, even for basic diagnoses.

The exchange erupted during a tense meeting convened by Parliament's National Economy Committee. The session, chaired by Robert Ndugwa Migadde (Buvuma Island, Independent), also featured finance state minister Henry Musasizi.

Talking points revolved around a shillings 67.83 billion loan request before the committee.

The aforementioned undertaking financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) is poised to kickstart the first phase of East Africa’s Centres of Excellence for Skills and Tertiary Education in Biomedical Sciences.

The project was signed on October 26, 2015, and became effective on February 1, 2016. Its objectives include supporting the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in providing high-level education, clinical training, research and comprehensive cancer care for Ugandans and the wider East African Community (EAC) population.

The project was initially budgeted at $31.5 million (about shillings 118 billion), with the Government committed to contributing $3.8 million (about shillings 14 billion).

Originally scheduled for completion within 24 months, the project faced significant delays due to the impacts of COVID-19 and price escalations.

This led to a financing gap of $21.68 million. However, current documents indicate that the Government has fully honoured its commitment.

Byanyima's experience

This was after Nathan Byanyima (Bukanga North, NRM) expressed concern over Uganda's insufficient diagnostic capabilities, particularly the lack of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, a crucial tool in cancer detection and management.

PET scans are sophisticated imaging tests that help doctors evaluate the function of tissues and organs.

They are particularly useful in cancer diagnosis and monitoring chemotherapy treatment.  
With over 60,000 new cancer cases annually, he lamented that this gap has forced many Ugandans into costly medical tourism, a predicament he argues could be avoided if the country prioritized investments in advanced diagnostic infrastructure.

In a startling turn of events, health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng found herself in the hot seat on December 10, 2024, fiercely countering accusations that Uganda's cancer care infrastructure is woefully inadequate, even for basic diagnoses. (Credit: Edith Namayanja)

Byanyima shared how he had to undergo surgery in Georgia-Atlanta in the United States of America (USA).

Upon his arrival, he was taken aback by the sight of five specialised cancer centres in the same city, facilities dedicated solely to battling a disease that continues to ravage many at home.

Initially, Byanyima had been advised to undergo a major surgery in Uganda, with an estimated cost of 25 million following a colonoscopy. However, a chance encounter with a former State House comptroller (names withheld), who had also faced medical challenges, would change his course.

The former official had been referred to India for treatment and asked him to allow him to return and see his progress first-hand.

Unfortunately, his friend's experience in India was not smooth. Byanyima says his friend’s surgery was not neatly done and consequently, he was advised to spend a month in a hotel recuperating which was costly.

It was at this crossroads that Byanyima decided not to gamble with his life. Instead of rolling the dice and taking a chance on uncertain treatments, he opted to head to America for the best possible care.

“When they took my initial tests, my blood pressure was seven. They said how would they operate you when your blood was very low. They said they could not do a blood transfusion because since I had travelled from Africa to America on an 18-hour flight, I must be fit. So, they put me on iron infusion for two weeks, and I was operated on,” he narrated.

After some time, Byanyima underwent the surgery in America, where the doctors explained that if they had operated on him while his condition was so compromised, he would likely have died.

"The doctors who operated were both Ugandans. You find our Ugandan people are good elsewhere but not good here on our people" Byanyima added.

Health ministry responds

Chipping in, the committee chairperson Migadde expressed his relief that the story was not sourced from social media.

However, Aceng quickly countered, acknowledging that while Uganda's oncologists may be few, they are exceptionally skilled. The real challenge, she pointed out, lies in the limited medical equipment available to them, which hinders their ability to provide the best care.

“The reason why our doctors may not do exactly what they are doing in other countries is due to lack of equipment. Those people work with machines, these ones use their brains to do things. You bring that equipment here and see everybody will come here. And equipment is very expensive, they become obsolete very fast because we are not the manufacturers. Two, they (local oncologists) are very few and they are overwhelmed with work,” she explained.

According to official records from 2012, Uganda, with a population of 35 million, had only 20 oncologists.

“If you step in Uganda Cancer Institute now, from the doorway, the corridors, even near the washrooms, there are patients. In other countries, they don’t work like that. You will have one doctor attending to one or two patients each day,” she added.