Government to distribute free morphine
Sep 26, 2003
The Government is to freely provide morphine, a drug used to control pain in terminally ill patients
The Government is to freely provide morphine, a drug used to control pain in terminally ill patients reports Richard Komakech.
Health minister Brigadier Jim Muhweszi represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Kezaala, said this at celebrations marking 10 years of Hospice Africa recently.
Muhwezi said, “The need for palliative care is recognised by the ministry and we have incorporated this in the minimum healthcare package so that more people are helped.’’
Muhwezi said the ministry would give the oral form of the drug but is yet to grant powers to nurses to administer it because of few medical staff.
Hospice board chairperson Naome Nasasira asked the government to facilitate funding of palliative care training to enable people in rural areas access the service.
Hospice Africa was set up in 1993 by Dr. Anne Merriman. It has so far cared for over 4,000 AIDS and cancer patients in Uganda.
Health minister Brigadier Jim Muhweszi represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Kezaala, said this at celebrations marking 10 years of Hospice Africa recently.
Muhwezi said, “The need for palliative care is recognised by the ministry and we have incorporated this in the minimum healthcare package so that more people are helped.’’
Muhwezi said the ministry would give the oral form of the drug but is yet to grant powers to nurses to administer it because of few medical staff.
Hospice board chairperson Naome Nasasira asked the government to facilitate funding of palliative care training to enable people in rural areas access the service.
Hospice Africa was set up in 1993 by Dr. Anne Merriman. It has so far cared for over 4,000 AIDS and cancer patients in Uganda.