Kadaga urges rotarians to extend aid countrywide

PIC: Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga will take part in the 2018 cancer rotary run.The speaker will be running for her father. (Credit: Derrick Wadria)

HEALTH

KAMPALA - The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga vowed to lead the legislature in fighting cancer.

Kadaga made the remarks during the seventh edition of the annual Rotary Cancer Run at her chambers in the Parliamentary Building in Kampala.

The speaker of parliament also urged Rotarians to build cancer centres outside Kampala.

Kadaga said that she will run for her father and also promised to lead the legislatures in fighting cancer.

This year's event will take place at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds and in all major towns across the country on August 26.

Similar to the previous year, the money being raised is to buy two Linear Accelerators, one of the most modern cancer treatment machines in the world and complete their bunker where they should be placed at Nsambya Hospital.

The total project cost for the two machines and bunker is estimated at approximately sh18b.

"Rotary is doing a great service and that is why we support it. I want to thank our MPs for their generosity last year and will always urge them to support such innovations.

"However, we must not think of only Kampala, I want to hear that you have plans to do this in other major towns as well and I will also run for my Dad," Speaker Kadaga told Rotarians.

Each Member of Parliament last year contributed Shs1m bring the total to over shs450m and sh1.1b was raised last year as gross revenue shs772m.

The Rotary Cancer Run started in 2012 and raised money that was used to build a cancer centre at Nsambya Hospital which is estimated to have cost sh1.5b.

The centre with 36 beds is now operational and treats cancer patients while in 2015, the Rotary Cancer Run raised money that was partly used to build the country's second Blood Bank at Mengo Hospital.

Tickets to participate in the run will be going for sh25000 only across the country.