The Rubanda District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Evelyn Ninsiima Kikafunda, has called on the government to prioritise the establishment of a regional cancer treatment centre in the Kigezi Sub-region, citing the growing number of cancer patients who are forced to travel long distances for specialised care.
Making her maiden contribution during the 9th Sitting of the First Session of the 12th Parliament on Tuesday, Ninsiima said the absence of a cancer treatment facility in Kigezi has placed a heavy financial and emotional burden on patients and their families.
She told Parliament that many cancer patients from the sub-region are referred to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and Mulago National Referral Hospital, where they incur high transport and treatment costs while seeking life-saving care.
According to figures she presented from the Uganda Cancer Institute, Kigezi records more than 1,200 cancer patients annually, with the number increasing every year. She said Rubanda has about 130 patients, Kabale 220, Rukungiri 190, Kanungu 170, Kisoro 150 and Rukiga about 100.
Ninsiima identified cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and osteosarcoma as the most common cancers affecting residents of the sub-region.
She warned that delayed diagnosis and treatment, resulting from the lack of a specialised treatment centre, continue to reduce patients’ chances of survival and appealed to the Ministry of Health to establish a regional cancer centre closer to the people.
In the same speech, the legislator also urged the government to strengthen agricultural production by providing at least one knapsack sprayer to every village, saying many smallholder farmers cannot afford the equipment needed to control crop pests and diseases.
Ninsiima thanked the people of Rubanda District for electing her to Parliament and pledged to advocate for improved health services and increased support for agriculture, which she described as the backbone of Uganda’s economy.
