CARDIOLOGISTS have urged members of the general public in Busoga to refer all children suspected to be suffering from Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH) where proper diagnosis and treatment can be made through surgery.
This is the first such heart surgery camp in the history of Jinja RRH, the biggest government owned referral hospital that was established in the 1930s as a health unit for World War II combatants and prisoners of war from Kimaka.
Jinja RRH became the second district to host this critical and sensitive initiative following a successful maiden operation at Mbarara RRH in October 2023, which gave impetus to the experts.
The Executive Director(ED) Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) Dr John Odiri Ogund Omagino says the Kampala City-based facility has built adequate capacity in terms of training of cardiologists and equipment to handle CVDs
Saying CVDs remain the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for approximately 18million lives each year, Dr John Odiri Ogund Omagino notes with concern that so many families have given up hope because of many factors including the cost.
This was during a news briefing at the Jinja RRH where a five-day free cardiac Surgery Health Camp was held from Monday 17th to Friday 21st June, 2024 where the mothers of 8 children out of 11 children (5 males and 6 females) in the range of seven months to five years went back with smiles.
According to inside sources, two of the children were found to be unfit for surgery at the time of the operation, implying they will be optimized and scheduled for surgery at the Uganda Heart Institute at a later undisclosed date.
“…some people have resigned with the mistaken belief that they are cursed while others blame the condition on witchcraft and other evil spirits or the mothers for allegedly producing deformed children…”he lamented
He explained that the main purpose of the closed heart surgery camp was part of the commitment by UHI to decentralize the much sought-for advanced heart care, ensuring that high quality health services are accessible to all citizens, regardless of their geographical location.
“…by conducting these camps in regional centres, we reduce the burden of travel and associated costs for families, making it easier for them to access the care they need…”,the UHI director said in a 37 minute speech laced with heartwarming humor.
Dr John Odiri Ogund Omagino also told the small audience of highly trained and qualified experts that the initiative fosters stronger collaborations between UHI and regional hospitals, enhancing the capacity of local healthcare professionals through shared knowledge and training.
Unlike most civil servants who refer to themselves as ‘technical’ who have little or no regard to the media, Dr John Odiri Ogund Omagino took an exceptional path to recognize and pledge to always work with journalists.
“…we can talk here from dawn to dusk; we can have all the most important knowledge and information which end up here, but through the various media channels, the masses who are our target will benefit…” he stressed.
Promising close collaboration, the academically well decorated thoracic and cardiac surgeon Dr John Odiri Ogund Omagino urged the close to two dozen journalists to use their platforms to intensify awareness to the population in Busoga so that patients can seek timely treatment.
The gesture was welcomed by the Jinja based reporters who had no kind words for some ‘techical’officers who are still buried in colonial-type of administration embedded in a cobweb of bureaucratic protocols.
This, notwithstanding, is the fact that Uganda has the Access to Information Act.2005, which provides for the right of access to information pursuant to Article 41 of the 1995 Constitution.
Speaking during the same conference, the host director Dr Alfred Yayi expressed optimism that the partnership through camps will become an annual practice until Jinja RRH gets an established Regional Cardiac Centre for routine delivery of specialized cardiovascular care.
“…successful accomplishment of this cardiac camp will showcase the possibility of decentralizing specialized services from Kampala from Kampala to the regions so that these services are more accessible to the Ugandan population…”,Dr Alfred Yayi said.
The only consultant pediatrician cardiologist, attached to the Jinja RRH Nalufenya Children’s Hospital Dr Emmanuel Tenywa, whose recent attempted transfer by the Ministry of Health caused a furor from locals and leaders in Busoga took time to explain how he identifies and diagnoses children with heart defects.
After diagnosis, the ever-jolly and popular Dr Emmanuel Tenywa says he counsels and gives hope to the mothers on the treatability of their usually emaciated children owing to the heart complications.
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