Category «Health»

Fundraising drive on for Kilembe Hospital

A fundraising drive for the rehabilitation of Kilembe Mines Hospital in Kasese district is on. The Uganda Red Cross Society in partnership with the National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction is seeking for about 235 million shillings to rebuild the hospital, which was severely affected by floods last month. In a statement, Red Cross Secretary General, Michael Nataka says the funds are urgently required to rebuild the surgery, maternity and infant wards. Nataka says the overall focus is to improve the health status of the communities through reducing mortality and disability arising from common diseases, emergencies and epidemics. Vincent Woboya of the National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction says with the outpatient department only functional, it is hoped that the …

Shs 700 for Fistula

The Ministry of Health has earmarked Shs.700 million to cater for obstetric fistula in the country. The Ministry’s Commissioner Clinical Services Dr. Jacinto Amandra says they intend to use the funds to for prevention and control of fistula among women. Dr. Amandra adds that they also plan to increase access to reproductive health services so that women affected by fistula can easily be attended to. He says that although the cases of women affected by obstetric fistula have reduced drastically, many women in rural areas are still ignorant about its prevention and treatment. The commissioner made the remarks a head of the International Day against Fistula to be marked tomorrow at Soroti Referral Hospital. This preventable and treatable condition occurs …

Blood shortage not alarming-government

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that though the country is facing a shortage of blood, it has not yet reached emergency levels. The State Minister in charge of Primary Health Care Sarah Opendi efforts have been made to send blood to referral hospitals where the shortage was most pronounced. The most affected hospitals include Arua, Gulu, Kitovu and Fortportal. She also allayed fears on the safety of the blood sent out to the hospitals, noting that it goes through rigorous testing and checking to avoid possible transmission of infections. Opendi says more testing kits will be delivered at Nakasero Blood Bank and Mbarara Blood Bank. The blood shortage has however affected the operations of various hospitals. At the Uganda …

No Tobacco Day; calls on for ban on adverts

As Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the World No Tobacco day today, government is piling more pressure on players in the tobacco industry to stop the endorsement of tobacco-related adverts. The Ministry of Health is kicking off fresh campaigns to ban the advertisement of tobacco products such as cigarettes. The Commissioner of Clinical Services, Dr. Jacinto Amandua says Uganda is a signatory to the Convention for Tobacco Control, which prohibits adverts that promote the use of cigarettes. Dr. Amandua says the proposed Tobacco Control Bill will come in handy in addressing the increasing usage of tobacco among the youth with current statistics showing smoking among the youths at 15%, up from 11% in 2011. The World …

Conjoined twins now have pneumonia

The conjoined twins at Mulago hospital have pneumonia. The Hospital Spokesperson Enoch Kusaasira says doctors have established that the babies are suffering from pneumonia and have challenges breathing. The babies are however receiving treatment at the intensive care unit. The twins were born in Ngora district and transferred to Mulago hospital for treatment. They first contracted flu and cough, before the condition worsened. Tests conducted earlier by the doctors indicated that each of the babies has their own heart, although they are in the same sack. They also have separate spines. Tests on them have however been halted to allow them recover. Their mother Faith Okiri died during delivery earlier this month.