Teso group in multi-billion area hospital bid

Dec 15, 2016

"As we solicit for the money to construct the hospital, we will be having a mobile health unit going around the region treating people."

In a bid to improve on health service delivery in Teso, a group from the region under their joint umbrella Iteso Welfare Association (IWA) have launched a campaign titled to build a modern hospital in their area.

The initiative is called ‘Teso Health Appeal' and was launched at a meeting in Kampala.

Projected to cost sh40b, the health facility will serve local and neighbouring people, according to IWA chairperson Tom Okello.

"As we solicit for the money to construct the hospital, we will be having a mobile health unit going around the region treating people," he said.

While launching the campaign at Mandela National Stadium Namboole, Soroti Catholic diocese priest and guest of honor Fr. Samuel Ebietu said the people of Teso should avoid being donor-dependent, adding that they should solicit money themselves and solve their problems.

"Considering the health state in Teso region, the move by the people of the region to construct their own hospital has come at the right time," he said.

The priest said locals are facing a challenge of particularly Hepatitis B, and that the few government medics in the region are only giving immunization against the diseases but not treating patients.

"If Teso region had its well-equipped hospital, people in the region would be provided with treatment to avoid deaths. These are things that have been done in other countries, so the people of Teso can also do them."

Former Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso said Teso has a painful history full of wars, poverty and disasters.

"Non-communicable diseases are at a high rate in the region, people lack well-equipped hospitals to handle their cases."

The former legislator said the government reacted to the issue of Hepatitis B in their region but that it is only doing screening and vaccination and leaving people to find their own treatment.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});