By Our Reporter
MBARARA- Dr. Robert Mwesigwa Rukari, the Member of Parliament for Mbarara City North County, has expressed concern regarding a government hospital privately hiring 17 workers.
He believes that this issue should be brought to the attention of parliament to ensure that appropriate measures are taken.
Rukaari expressed his concern as he contributed one million shillings towards the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital Cancer Run dubbed Cancer Color Run to help Children with Cancer.
Dr. Banarbas Atwiine, who heads the Children’s Cancer Unit at the Referral Hospital, the funds generated from the Run will help boost the unit’s annual budget of 430 million shillings noting that this will enable them to tackle the various challenges they encounter on a regular basis.
He points out that there are several challenges that are not being addressed, including the acquisition of vital but costly medications that the Uganda Cancer Institute never provides, compensation for non-governmental employees, and funding for assisting underprivileged children.
Atwiine says that 17 out of the 20 personnel working in the children’s cancer department are employed privately, and providing them with adequate compensation is proving to be a challenging task.
According to Dr. Atwiine, some of the funds are allocated toward assisting children who require lengthy treatment but lack the financial means to cover it. He reveals that at least 10 patients miss out on treatment every month due to financial constraints.
Dr. Elias KumbaKumba, the head of the Pediatric Unit, emphasizes that the Cancer Color Run plays a crucial role in creating awareness about the growing number of children diagnosed with cancer.
Kumbakumba says since the last cancer color run the unit has assessed more than 200 children patients noting that half of the number has been diagnosed with cancer.
The Cancer Unit at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital is a 16-bed unit that opened in 2017 and receives patients from all districts found in the southwestern and northwestern regions.
Cancer types mostly treated at the Unit include Leukemia also known as blood cancer, Kidney Cancer, and Lymphoma Cancer.
