A medic vaccinating a baby during the health camp at Mutembe Landing Site, Nyenga sub-county in Buikwe district.Photo by Douglas Mubiru
HEALTH
Expectant mothers in Buikwe district have been warned against seeking medical care from Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), but instead use the area health centres.
The warning was given by specialists from St. John Ambulance Uganda during a health camp at Mutembe Landing Site, Nyenga sub-county in Buikwe district.
The camp left over 700 people from six villages of Kuufu, Buwagajo, Wagajo, Buzibilira, Buwagali, Nawa and Kalega with various ailments treated and those with complicated illnesses referred to authentic hospitals.
HIV counselling and testing, maternal and child care services, dental checkups, malaria treatment and hypertension were some of the services offered to residents free of charge.
Dr Joseph Kasirye urged mothers to shun TBAs and go to health centres, where personnel and equipment are available in case a mother develops complications.
“Hospitals are the safest environment for a mother at risk to be attended to during labour. It has around-the-clock help, which is not the case for traditional attendants,” Kasirye said.
He added that it is from a health facility that immediate paediatrics attention is available should the newborn need medical care.
“Sleep under mosquito nets, drink boiled water, avoid sexual intercourse with multiple partners and continuously refer to medics for help,” Kasirye advised.
Betty Nalongo, 45, an HIV-positive women’s leader at Butembe village thanked the medics for giving them free treatment, but requested that they put a permanent outreach for them so that they can easily pick their RVs.
“We truly thank the medics for giving us free treatment, but we request that they put a permanent clinical outreach for us to pick RVs because we pick them from very far, which at times makes us miss taking medication since we can’t afford the transport costs,” Nalongo said.
She also requested for mosquito nets so that they could prevent their children from getting malaria.
Another patient, Angela Nabivono, was thankful to the medics for having improved their maternal health and treated their children.
By the end of the health camp, many children had been immunised, women had been given family planning services and expectant mothers given antenatal materials at no cost.
