Concerns over gaps in cancer screening and emergency health services have been raised in Parliament, with legislators questioning the limited availability of screening facilities and delays in fulfilling government promises to provide ambulances.
The concerns were raised during Thursday’s plenary sitting following a communication by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth on Parliament’s support towards the fight against cancer and the upcoming Rotary Cancer Run.
Earlier in the day, Mr Oboth announced that Parliament had deposited Shs3 billion towards the construction and equipping of the Cancer Centre at Nsambya Hospital.
Maruzi North County MP Benard Otim called on the government to invest in mobile cancer screening services, saying limited access to early diagnosis remains a major challenge.
Mr Otim said the Uganda Cancer Institute has only one screening van, which he argued was inadequate to serve the growing number of people requiring cancer screening across the country.
The debate also highlighted gaps in emergency medical services, with Buzaaya County MP Martin Muzaale demanding an explanation from the Ministry of Health over the government’s earlier promise to provide ambulances to constituencies.
Minister of State for Health in charge of Primary Health Care Charles Ayume said the government had planned to decentralise ambulance services and procure ambulances every financial year.
However, he said the programme was affected after Shs750 billion was reallocated from the health budget, disrupting planned interventions.
Mr Ayume said the government nevertheless allocated Shs20 billion in the previous financial year for the procurement of 54 ambulances.
On cancer care, Mr Ayume acknowledged the pressure the disease places on the health system, saying its management requires specialised equipment, trained personnel and adequate infrastructure.
He said government investment in cancer care had increased compared to two decades ago and that efforts were underway to decentralise treatment services to improve access outside Kampala.
The minister also emphasised prevention as a key strategy in reducing the cancer burden, citing the government’s policy of vaccinating 10-year-old girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), which is associated with cervical cancer.
He also warned that lifestyle, diet and environmental exposure could contribute to the development of cancer.
Mr Oboth said the scale of cancer deaths in Uganda required a stronger collective response from Parliament, the Ministry of Health and the public.
He said about 18,000 people die from cancer annually, urging MPs to use their positions to promote awareness about prevention, screening and early treatment.
Wakiso District Woman Representative Ethel Naluyima called on MPs to become advocates in the fight against cancer, saying increased awareness and collective action were necessary to reduce the disease burden.
