Led by the Director of Western Ankole Civil Society Organization, Apollo Kakonge Lee, Engineer Generous Tugume, a lecturer at Kampala International University Ishaka Campus and Zadock Amanyisa, a reporter with Daily monitor targets to raise Shillings 5million.
Three concerned residents
of Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality have launched a fundraising drive to raise
money to buy Personal Protective Equipment-PPEs for Bushenyi Health center IV.
Led by the Director of Western Ankole Civil Society Organization,
Apollo Kakonge Lee, Engineer Generous Tugume, a lecturer at Kampala
International University Ishaka Campus and Zadock Amanyisa, a reporter with
Daily monitor targets to raise Shillings 5million.
The group, which is using a WhatsApp group dubbed “Citizen
Report Card”, expects to use the proceeds from the campaign to buy full protective
gear for health workers at Bushenyi
Health center IV handling COVID-19 patients and other supplies like water and
food. The health center has run out of PPEs exposing health workers to the
risks of COVID-19 infection.
Kakonge says the absence of the PPEs came to their attention when
one of the members raised it after realizing that the person picking samples
was using the same gloves to pick samples from different people.
//Cue in: “kutugire kuhika twashanga…
Cue out: …okumanaging ebya covid.”//
He says that they agreed to create the “Local COVID-19
Fund" where all the money raised will be used to procure the gear. Kakonge
says that there is a need for citizens to come together to support health centers
and boost the health workers’ morale as front liners in the fight against the
pandemic.
Zadock Amanyisa, the brain behind the fundraising, says
that the campaign is in its primary stages, saying it could stay longer and
help solve other concerns since they are committed. By the time of the interview, a day after the
launch of the campaign, the group had already raised Shillings 1million. He said
the campaign is aimed at supplementing government efforts in combating the
pandemic.
Eng. Generous Tugume, one of the leaders of the
campaign, says that the fund is not only going to help Bushenyi Health center
IV but other health centers depending on how much is collected. "We know our health centers lack many things. Our focus now is Protective gear for Bushenyi Health Center IV but we shall
also, help other centers as people keep contributing because we know a lot is
missing there,” he said.
Rose Atuhaire, a resident of the Central Division, says
that she heard from a friend and has already contributed to the campaign,
noting that it is a great initiative. Dr. Edward Mweisgye, the Bushenyi District Health
Officer confirmed the absence of protective gear, which he says ran out of
stock two weeks ago. He also revealed that they did not receive any PPEs in the
latest delivery of medical supplies.
//Cue in:
“We have an…
Cue out: …not our choice.”//
He says that they are currently relying on help from
the neighbouring district as they wait for the National Medical Stores to work
on their emergency order.
//Cue in: “trying what we…
Cue out: …they are silent.”//
Bushenyi has registered 121 positive COVID-19
cases. Three of the cases are health workers. Bushenyi Health Centre IV
is the only facility conducting tests in Bushenyi District. The facility picks close
to 90 samples each day.
