Jinja residents get free treatment

JINJA-A total of 25,000 patients in Jinja, suffering from different ailments have been treated at no cost, thanks to a team of doctors from Canada and Uganda.

The patients were treated during a two weeks medical camp organized by the Indian Association in Uganda, East and North sector in partnership with Indo-Africa charitable society, Canada at Busoga Square grounds in Jinja.

Specialists from Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, an orthopaedic, a neuro, spine, optical and dental were on hand for the two-weeks to provide consultancy services to patients in their area of speciality and also provided medication for minor cases.

They were able to attend to about 25,000 patients from Busoga sub-region including providing them with food at the campground.

Vasant Lakhani, the leader of the delegation from Indo-Africa Charitable Society said this was their fourth camp to be organised in Jinja where emphasis was put on surgeries.

"We also provided lunch to patients where we served between 14,000 to 15,000 patients daily. We went to Jinja Hospital and distributed food items to 2,400 bedridden patients," Lakhani said adding that he was happy to work with members of the Indian association Uganda.

The chairperson of the Indian Association in Uganda, East and North sector, Kanabar Kuman said Indian Association worked in partnership with Indo-Africa to give back to the less privileged communities as a way of uplifting the health and well-being of the people in those communities. 

Kuman said Jinja was selected for this year's medical mission because of the great history Jinja plays in the lives of the Indians both in Uganda and Canada.

"Many of our sponsors were born raised and still live in Jinja and in this medical mission, we aimed at helping people of various health conditions and a new addition which makes this mission special is the pressure of the surgical and surgery interventions," Kuman said.

During the medical camp, Mandela Group of Companies also donated assorted medical drugs to Indo-Africa that were used in treating patients at Busoga Square ground. The drugs were handed over by Rajesh Kesavan, a marketing executive of Mandela Group of Companies.

Joy Ruth Acheng, Uganda's high commissioner to Canada commended the Indian community in Uganda, Canadian doctors and Indo-Africa charitable society for extending free medical care to Ugandans, during the medical camp.

"I want to thank you for that good heart; while in lira they treated 15,000 patients and in Gulu, they treated about 20,000 patients. Thank you for valuing Ugandans as your own," Acheng said.

She however implored Ugandans to consider living a healthy lifestyle to avoid preventable diseases which she said comes as a result of poor hygiene.

The Deputy Head of Mission of Uganda in India Baswari Kezala, Jinja Mayor Majid Batambuzze, Jinja RDC Eric Sakwa, Jinja L.C 5 Titus Kisambira and Ivan Tibenkana the focal person under the Ministry of Health of Busoga Kingdom attended the health camp.