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First, Dr. Ann Kalule Nanfuka, a Canadian physician, was able to undertake a medical mission in her native Uganda in early 2015 thanks to LINCCO and our local partner, the Kelim Foundation.
The goal was to bring free health care services to those in need in underserviced areas, working with small health care facilities striving to meet the needs of the local population.
Dr. Nanfuka recently spent two months on her mission, visiting eight of the 16 health centers in the Luwero district, one of which was St. Kizito Nattyole Health Centre III. She reports that it lacks a medical doctor but somehow manages to serve 20,000 people. The community depends on subsistence farming and so patients have almost no money to pay for health care. They rely on herbal remedies and traditional birth attendants, resulting in high maternal mortality. Dr. Kalule reports that the majority of patients requesting care are women and children.
In addition to the lack of doctors, there is a shortage of diagnostic equipment such as ultrasounds and of prescription drugs, making care more difficult.
Through LINCCO’s sponsorship, a prescription drug account was opened to supply two health centres, including St. Kizito Nattyole Health Centre III. The medications are making an enormous difference in the lives of patients, particularly those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
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