COVID -19 Outbreak Delays Purchase of CT Scan Machine for Lacor Hospital

The committee chairperson, John Baptist Odama disclosed that they had planned to take the drive to West Nile by April this year but they have been forced to halt all their activities including planning meetings, monitoring and evaluations in respect to the Ministry of Health guidelines.

The outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country will delay the procurement of a 128 slices Computed Tomography (CT) Machine for St Mary`s Hospital Lacor in Gulu, the fundraising committee has said.

In September 2019, Lacor Hospital in partnership with Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative – ARLPI and Comrades of Pearl Africa, launched a fundraising drive to raise 3 billion shillings to buy the CR scan machine.   

The committee headed by John Baptist Odama, the Archbishop of Gulu combed trading centers, town councils and individual donations from across Acholi Sub Regions and were able to raise 108 million shillings by early March this year.  

However they had planned to raise the money before mid this year to ensure that the machine is purchased and installed at the hospital.   

John Bosco Uhuru, the central organizing committee general secretary told The Uganda Times on Friday that the drive has been suspended infinitely following the presidential directives suspending all public and private gatherings. 

Uhuru said that the drive attracts very many people and currently it cannot continue since it will be defying the presidential directives in an effort to stop the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID -19).   

He added that movements have equally been affected due to the suspension of public and private transport since they are required to travel to different places to solicit for the funds.  

He cried that the suspension will likely affect the set goals to realize the required money as planned at least before end of June this year.   

The committee chairperson, John Baptist Odama disclosed that they had planned to take the drive to West Nile by April this year. He disclosed that they will commence when the country is declared free of the deadly COVID -19 disease.   

Richard Jomeo, an activist in Northern Uganda is saddened by the absence of the machine. He says the need for the machine is dire looking at the suffering vulnerable community that cannot travel to other parts of the country to get the services.   

Dr. Ciprian Opira, the Executive Director Lacor Hospital says the initiative will help address the people`s need which has overwhelmed various hospitals across the greater Northern Uganda especially those with brain injuries.   

The scan is used to detect tumors or lesions within the abdomen, identify heart diseases or abnormalities, and locate injuries, tumors, blood clots, clots leading to stroke, hemorrhage, excess fluid and other conditions such as pneumonia.  

The absence of the machine is straining patients in Acholi and the areas of Karamoja, Lango, Teso and West Nile sub-regions.   

Currently, a patient spends up to 1.5 million Shillings to hire ambulance services from Gulu to Kampala to access CT scan services.  

There are 17 CT scans in the country according to the 2017/2018 Uganda Health Sector Performance Report 2017/2018. Thirteen of them are distributed within Kampala, in South Western Uganda there are two CT scans both in Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and Mayanja, while in Eastern Uganda there are two CT scans both in Mbale Municipality at Cure and Mt. Elgon Hospitals.

Emmy Daniel Ojara & Walter Kumira

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