KABSOM Trains Rukiga, Rubanda and Kabale Hospital Staff in Cancer Screening & Treatment

Kabale University School of Medicine in partnership with Rotary Club International and Kabale Regional Referral Hospital has launched a week-long cervical screening training workshop for some health workers from the Kigezi districts of Rukiga, Rubanda, Kabale, and Tororo. The Launch took place on Saturday 19^th of February 2022 at Kabale University School of Medicine (KABSOM) hostels in Makanga.

Dr. Godwin Turyasingura, the acting Dean, KABSOM gave an overview of the project in his opening remarks.  He pointed out that in order to write this project, the team under the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology was motivated by the overwhelming numbers of women who were reporting to hospitals late with cervical cancer which was already in advanced stages and beyond the manageable levels. At this stage, they could hardly do much besides giving only palliative care. As a team, they were concerned and forced to write a proposal of training health workers first with Kabale Regional Referral Hospital a project that was done in 2018 with support from Kabale University.  Dr. Turyasingura said once cervical cancer is detected early it can be treated and managed. He said once these midwives are trained, the cancer screening is easy, affordable, and can be done at every health center.

This kind of project was piloted way back in 2019 by training health workers from health centers from rural areas with support from Worldwide Healing Hands. At that time fifteen (15) health workers were trained and cervical cancer screening started at those health centers were those trained health workers were coming from. But it was realized that once it’s done at the regional level, a small proportion will benefit. In continuation to this, the department sought support to train more hospital staff in cervical cancer screening and training. This project is to train health workers from different health centers across the Districts of Rukiga, Rubanda, and Kabale. Dr. Turyasingura said “in this project, two health workers from thirty-two (32) health centers from the 3 districts will be trained in two phases”, after the training the KABSOM Team will continue to follow them up and supervise them from their respective health centers. Dr. Turyasingura said they believe that after this training the number of mothers visiting health centers for screening will increase and the life of our mothers will be enjoyable.

He called upon well-wishers who can further support this project to support the mobilization of communities so that they can utilize the services at different levels to come on board.

He concluded by saying that this project attracted participants from Tororo Districts, as they were attracted to the program and requested to participate. He thanked Rotary Club International through Rotary Club of Kabale for accepting to support this project.

While addressing the audience at the launch, the District Health Officer Dr. Besigensi Alfred thanked Kabale University for coordinating the project and Rotary Club international for supporting the training. He said that from the recent statistics, 90% of women from developing countries die because of cancer of the cervix. He said cancer of the cervix if diagnosed early is preventable and simple skills are needed in its screening process. He was very grateful for the support and called upon those who can to also think of supporting the treatment of other underlying health conditions.  He called upon his fellow health workers who were chosen for the training not to hide the skills they will have obtained after the training. Besigensi said “Fellow Health Workers, don’t get a skill and hide it since you have been chosen and trained, go and use the knowledge obtained to save the communities, it will be a shame if you don’t do your job”

Dr. Hilary Ahaisibwe, who represented the Director Kabale Regional Referral Hospital welcomed participants to the training. He thanked the Rotary Team and Kabale University School of Medicine for the noble activity that was being embarked on of serving our people in the region. He said to the participants that the skills that will be passed to you will not only benefit and empower you to serve the communities properly. He re-echoed the need to fund the mobilization of mothers so that numbers coming to receive the services of cancer screening can increase at health centers.

The University Bursar Mr. Gad Twesigye represented the Vice-Chancellor at the Launch. He thanked Rotary Club International and Rotary Club of Kabale for supporting this project, He said the University Management was excited about this entire project and appreciated Dr. Turyasingura for spearheading the Project.  He said the eradication of cancer is one of the major areas Rotary supports worldwide. He reiterated the University’s commitment to partner with Rotary on many other similar projects in order to help our communities. He congratulated the participants because of the opportunity to attend this training.  He said this will increase the health centers capacity in cervical cancer screening excises.

The event was graced by the Rotary District 9214 Governor, Rotarian Peace Taremwa who launched the training. The District Governor thanked Kabale University for taking the lead in the project, he further proposed phasing of the project such that the project can be carried to other regions, for instance, covering the entire region of Kigezi, Greater Ankole, the entire western part of Uganda and later the entire country. He said that “Let us see the project that has started in Kabale grows to spread to other regions of the country, we need to always refer to this model that has started from Kabale”

Rotarian Peace Taremwa Revealed that rotary international is in the advanced stages to provide village ambulances throughout the country and said discussions with the Ministry of health are ongoing for a tax waiver for those items. He called upon members to join Rotary club international so that we join hands and move together to eradicate cancer throughout the world.