By Isaac Akugizibwe
HEALTH
Over 300 residents of Kikubamutwe zone in Kabalagala received free medical services offered by the Rotary club of Muyenga Tankhill on Saturday 18th, March, 2023 in a ground breaking health camp organised by the club at st Johns Baptist Secondary school in Kabalagala.
This health camp was part of a continuing annual project dubbed Kick Malaria out of Kikubamutwe an initiative that includes empowering residents through skilling, sensitisation and support in various ways. In Saturday’s health camp, residents were offered a variety of medical services that ranged from testing for various ailments that included among others HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Diabetes, Cancers like breast and prostate cancer to getting actual medication especially for malaria, cough, flue and many others.
Rita Namakiika Nangono the president Rotary club of Muyenga tank hill said that the reason why they chose Kikubamutwe is that the area population is predominantly disadvantaged and vulnerable to disease.
“Kikuba Mutwe is a place of poor and disadvantaged people who have no access to medical services, so we decided create a health camp to bring medical services closer to these people, “she explained.
Namakiika added that Muyenga tank hill also offered free testing for malaria, typhoid, blood sugar, and high blood pressure as well as dental and optical testing and treatment.
‘’Since it is a month for women, we decided to make women a priority ,so we have specialists in women health, family planning, cervical cancer screening and free counselling for women,’’ she said.
Namakiika said that the whole project cost them over 10 million shillings and that they were supported by other organisations to ensure that their initiative was a success.
‘’We have been supported by a number of partners, Access,KCCA medical center,Sanlam,Uganda blood bank among others and we have been also helped by the rotary community corps who really play a great role when it comes to mobilisation,’’ she added.
‘’As a community, this activity has really changed a lot, people have been tested and now know how they stand, others have got medicine and so many now have a smile on their faces,’’ Caroline Nanvuma, One of the local council chairpersons of Kikubamutwe zone said.
‘’We are really grateful and I would like to thank the Rotary club of Muyenga Tankhill for always thinking about and giving back to the vulnerable people,’’ she added.
Ismael Kinene the chairman of Kikubamutwe confessed that Rotary club of Muyenga Tankhill has immensely helped the people of Kabalaga in a number of ways from constructing toilets for the residents to opening trenches, and malaria prevention.
“Muyenga rotary has been a great friend in need to the residents of Kikubamutwe and Kabalagala and we request that great spirit to continue. We thank them for being generous and compassionate,’’ he said.
Saturday’s event also featured blood donation in which several people generously donated blood with majority saying they were happy to be saving people’s lives in case they needed blood to live on.
The Rotary club of Muyenga tank hill also conducts cleaning of drainage channels, fumigation and distribution of mosquito nets in a bid to end malaria in the area.
