I was in Kiwoko recently. While there I was in the community and visited an old granny who lives with her family some miles from the hospital.
Her grandson recounted how she had been unwell and her daughter had taken her to a local clinic for treatment. There she had been treated with expensive intravenous antibiotics for several days. They went home, but as she wasn’t really better, they brought her to Kiwoko Hospital. A thorough examination and a simple blood test confirmed that she had profound and life threatening anaemia. Two units of blood later she felt better and was fit for discharge home, with a bill a fraction of the price from the previous clinic.
It is good to see that the hospital continues to provide quality care to those who need it. It was also good to be reminded how many folk can still fear going to the hospital and prefer traditional healers or local drug stores and clinics.
It was also good to be reminded that despite some real development in Uganda over the last 20 years, there are still people whose limited resources mean that they only live off thick porridge and milk – with so little iron in their diet that they can become anaemic!
The work of the hospital in treating, and also in providing community education is very much still needed today.
Rory.
Ian Clarke went to Kiwoko in 1987 initially to do Community Medicine. There is still a great need for this as Rory’ article illustrates. Moses Sideeke and his team do their best to fulfil that role reaching out from the hospital to the local community in a committed and professional way. Their work over many years is to be celebrated.
I was a rapid response nurse for Setrust and during my two visits to Kiwoko I was amazed at the work Moses was managing. When out and about I could also see the trust the community had in the services and would turn up at child health clinics under trees with other health concerns knowing someone would advise