The government through the Ministry of Health has donated an ambulance boat to the people Koome Island in Mukono district worthy 600 million Uganda shillings;
This donation is a presidential pledge in the 2016 general presidential campaigns, and it’s geared to improve health services easing transportation of the ill people leaving in the seventeen islands that make Koome Sub County.
The residents at Koome Island showed us the only dilapidated water ambulance that has been transporting their patients to the main land, they said that they have been risking because at the island the medical services are not sustaining.
Mukono Health Director Stephen Mulindwa, said the island has only one health center III which does not have a specialist surgeon to handle caesarian cases and they receive 20 people on average a month who cross the water to come ashore for treatment.
Meanwhile, he expressed his pleasure to the ministry of health for the intervention citing swift transportation of referrals and evacuation of patients of Covid 19 and Ebola.
Mukono district resdential representative, Fatuma Ndisaba commended the government for answerig the longtime call of the people of Koome island, she however, urged government to improve the health system at the island such the numbers that come on the mainland for better services are reduced.
While handing over the boat the state minister of Finance and National Planning Amos Lugolobi, warned leaders not to use the boat for commercial and political purposes.
The minister confirmed that the Ministry of Health will be responsible for the maintenance of the ambulance, payment of staff and refueling.
The 600 million shillings state of the art Ambulance is partly funded by GAVI and the Global fund and its recommended to carry 8 patients at ago.
