HEALTH | BUKEDEA | FREE MEDICATION

Over a thousand people have received free medical care in various sub-counties of Bukedea district, in the Teso sub-region. 

The three-day medical camp, organized by the speaker of Parliament and Bukedea district woman MP, Anita Among, attracted both the old and young, who thronged different medical campsites staged in Bukedea to get free medical care from 200 health workers. 

Some of the people waiting to recieve medical attention at Bukedea district Headquaters

“The three-day medical camp will cover all the sub-counties in the district and as well take care of patients from neighboring areas,” Speaker Among said in a tweet message. 

According to the Bukedea district health officer (DHO), Stephen Ikodet, the district grapples with an inadequate number of doctors to help in the diagnosis and treatment of the thousands of people in the district. 

He said the district has only four doctors, who serve over 10 health facilities in the district of Bukedea. 

People gathering at Mulema Health Centre Iii

“In the whole district, we only have four doctors, and yet we have health center IIIs where there are no doctors, yet the majority of the people stay there,” Ikodet said. 

A Medical Student Measuring A Man's Blood Pressure

It is against this backdrop that the Speaker of Parliament organized a team of 200 final-year medical internal doctors from 10 medical schools across the country for a medical camp in Bukedea. 

The medical students helped diagnose, treat, and dispense medicine to the people that were found with different illnesses. 

Women arriving at Bukedea District Headquaters to recieve treatment

“We are here to provide free health services to the people of Bukedea. By us being here, we are going to have lots of health education, testing, examining our patients, and also giving them drugs. Those with complicated cases, we will be referring them to regional hospitals like Mbale,” Boniface Osodi, the President of the Federation of Uganda Medical Students’ Association (FUMSA) said. 

He noted that during the three-day (Friday to Sunday) medical camps, the medical doctors will also engage the locals in health education on several diseases, especially noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Medical student attending to Patients

The medical doctors were drawn from Makarere University, Uganda Christian University (UCU), Kampala International University (KIU), Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Kabale University, and Gulu University, among others. 

Malaria  

One of the beneficiaries, Esther Apolot, said she was diagnosed with malaria by the doctors and was given medicine during the camp. 

Maira Mukasa Joseph the Chief Administrative Officer of Bukedea District addressing the local people before the health camp

“Our major health problem here is malaria. Most of our children have been suffering from malaria. We don’t have money to buy mosquito nets,” Apolot said. 

According to the DHO, health records at major health centers in Bukedea show that most of the outpatients are diagnosed with malaria. 

Medical student attending to patients

He attributed the increase in cases of malaria to the lack of mosquito nets by the majority of the households in the district, adding that the government last donated mosquito nets in the area three years ago. 

A Medical Student Examining A Little Patient At Bukedea District Headqutaers

“The health facilities are far from the people and our admissions records, especially from the outpatient department, show 70% malaria cases. It is a big burden,” Ikodet said. 

Other patients that attended the medical camp, especially the aged, reported cases of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and bone issues such as joint bone pain, among others. 

Elderly man feeling happy after recieving some medicine at Kachumbula Health centre

One of the elderly women said: “I have issues with my chest. I face difficulties in breathing, so I am here to be helped by the doctors, and I have had this problem for the last five years." 

The medical doctors also offered other services ranging from HIV/AIDS testing and counseling to those needing such services. 

Akol Mary, the Vice Chairperson of LCV, commended the Speaker of Parliament by saying the medical camp had helped many to access free medical care.

A Medical Student Measuring A Woman's Blood Pressure.

“We have people who are sick; they have chronic diseases, and the speaker said, "Let me not contribute coffins and let me not send money for burial, but let me first treat my people so that I can lead people who are healthy,” Akol said. 

On his part, the chief administrative officer (CAO) of Bukedea district, Joseph Mukasa, said the health education by the medical workers will help the people of Bukedea prevent the acquisition of various diseases that can be prevented. 

He said: “Our focus is more on prevention. Do some bit of health education on prevention. If everybody waits to get sick before coming for treatment, the strain becomes too much."