Kalangala to get hospital - Opendi

Jul 09, 2016

This was revealed by health state minister, Sarah Opendi, at the commissioning of the out-patient department (OPD) and (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) ART clinic

Kalangala will be the first beneficiary to get a hospital under the Ministry of health program of elevating health centre IVs to hospitals in areas without district hospitals.

This was revealed by health state minister, Sarah Opendi, at the commissioning of the out-patient department (OPD) and (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) ART clinic at Mugoye health centre III in Kalangala district on Friday.

The ART clinic and quarters for nurses were built by Uganda Cares, an NGO, with funds from their main donors, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).

The District health officer, Hilary Bitakaramire, said Kalangala has been neglected because it is isolated and added that Kalangala residents have been taking the patients to Masaka hospital.

"Kalangala has 84 islands and people living with HIV in those places, who are on treatment, find it hard to come for the monthly treatment. And we cannot move to them because we have no money for fuel for the speed boats," said Bitakaramire.

Bitakaramire said like other hard to reach areas, Kalangala should have a state minister to raise its issues to policy makers.

During the commissioning, mothers complained before the minister that they are mistreated at the centres while delivering. They said nurses were rude to them, admonishing them for getting pregnant all the time when they can't handle the bills.

Uganda Cares has been giving ART services to Mugoye, Kinoni health centre III, and Kiwangala health centre III in Lwengo district for a year and a half.  

In all the centres, they have donated buildings for patients on ART to feel they are part of the community.

Alice Kayongo, of Uganda Cares, said the HIV patients have been segregated at one point.
"When one is found with a virus, they are sent to neglected buildings for enrolment and they would be easily identified by others. So that is why Uganda Cares came up with the idea of separating their HIV patients from others for them to feel they are also being cared for," she said

The country director, Uganda Cares, Henry Magala, promised to provide excellent services to Kalangala patients.

He said there is a big change since Uganda cares came to the district.
"Uganda cares spent sh68m on the ART clinic and sh117m on sub-quarters for the nurses," he said. "The aim is to ensure that HIV patients are given perfect services."

The district chairperson, Willy Lugolobi decried drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, rape, defilement, which he said are main triggers of HIV increase on the island.

"Women, who lose husbands from one island, move to other islands where they are not identified as widows and spread HIV more. We thank Uganda Cares for the comprehensive HIV services. With this, we can reduce the spread," Lugolobi said.

Opendi promised to provide better health facilities to Kalangala and thanked Uganda Cares for supporting Kalangala. She advised nurses to learn customer care in order to facilitate prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

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