Work on Cancer Ward bunkers at Nsambya Hospital starts next month

Work on the bunkers to house two Linear Accelerators (modern cancer treatment machines) at the Rotary-Centenary Bank Cancer Ward at Nsambya Hospital will begin next month.

Addressing runners who participated in this year's Centenary Bank Virtual Rotary Cancer Run in Muyenga on Sunday, the Chairman Rotary Cancer Program and Past District Governor Stephen Mwanje said there is enough money on their account to start work.

Mwanje said the COVID-19 pandemic had made them think harder to make the virtual run global and said different people from all over the world participated in the run.

About 50 runners were flagged off in groups of five each to run over a 5km distance around Muyenga hill in respect to the prevailing Safe Operating Procedures to combat the coronavirus.

Other runners from around the country and the world also participated in their vicinities in an event that was live-streamed on social media.

"I would like to thank the different teams that have ensured all previous runs have been successful but most importantly Centenary Bank and Parliament of Uganda and all the other sponsors that have ensured the event is held successfully over the years," Mwanje said.

He said the Rotarians have four thematic areas that include creating awareness, offering free screening and treatment services, building infrastructure, and building human resource capacity (training of nurses that deal with cancer patients).

He said the disease is still rampant because it kills 60 people per-day on average and appealed to everyone to join the fight. After all, cancer was not a joking subject. He said their target was to ensure the work on the cancer facility is up and running by 2023.

The event was presided over by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga who noted that there is a need for cancer screening at the lowest level possible in the country to enable early detection and treatment.

"What we need in the country today is the possibility of screening at the lowest level possible, probably at the level of Health Center-2's so that everyone is tested for cancer early like it is done in China," Kadaga noted; urging that this will then help in early detection and treatment unlike now when most patients only realise they have the disease late-on.

She promised that when parliamentarians return from campaigns, she would rally them to discuss budgeting for screening at the lowest level so that communities can be helped to fight the disease early.

Kadaga thanked the Rotarians for keeping the fire burning and dependable partners Centenary Bank for their continued support of the annual event. The bank has supported the cause since the run's inception in 2012, while the parliamentarians have contributed sh1.2b over the past three years (sh400m per annum).

Kadaga said this year's run was an act of resilience because of the current rampant coronavirus pandemic that has brought everything to a standstill.

She cautioned the public not to be lost in the current coronavirus pandemic wave but stay alert even to other diseases that are still rampant and also killing people.

Rotary District Governor Rosette Nabbumba said Rotary believes in disease prevention and treatment the reason they take time to caution the public about promoting wellness.

"Cancer has been with us all this time but we would like to ensure it becomes a thing of the past because we have committed to humanity to ensure the disease is eradicated as polio has been defeated in Africa," Nabbumba said before thanking all sponsors and contributors to the fight.

She urged the public to embrace the rotary's Fitness and Nutrition (FAN) program by exercising daily feeding properly and resting enough to fight-off stress as well as following the health guidelines in the fight against coronavirus.

Centenary Bank Managing Director Fabian Kasi they have involved since inception because the fight against cancer is a noble one.

"Most lives are not distinguished by greater achievements; they are measured by an infinite number of smalls. Each time you do a kindness to someone or bring a smile to his face, it gives your life meaning," Kasi stated.

"For us, at Centenary Bank it is the bits that we have been giving that will make a difference and we will continue doing so because we believe in helping and adding value in the communities that we operate; so we pledge to continue being supportive," Kasi stated.

Activities that included aerobic exercises before and after the run was live-streamed on the Rotary Uganda official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/RotaryCancerRunUg/) and under the hashtag #RotaryCancerRun2020.

The cancer ward at Nsambya is ready but what remains is the construction of bunkers to house the linear accelerators and other equipment at the Nsambya hospital cancer ward.