MP donates five ambulances to save lives in Bufumbira North, Uganda

Five ambulances have been donated to health centers in Bufumbira North Constituency, mountainous and hilly area in South West Uganda by the local MP.

The ambulances, donated by the area MP Hon John Kamara, will serve the constituency’s level two and three health centres. The donation is particularly intended to help save the lives of women facing complications during labour.

Kamara has campaigned rigorously against the problems of maternal health, poor road network and insecurity. The voters agreed with him and dumped the former MP at the last general election. Most voters wait for the last year in parliament to see most MPs deliver their promises but Kamara delivered the first two ambulances last month, hardly a year into parliament. The delivery has been greeted by much excitement from voters, most especially women.

Challenges of Bufumbira North

Kamara said he acted because people were becoming desperate, failing even to find private means to pick up the sick.

He said: “It started when three taxi drivers were killed going to collect patients and their vehicles were stolen. The situation was bad.”

Nyarubuye Health Center III is located 20 kilometers away from the Kisoro district hospital and the terrain is bad. People resorted to carrying the sick using motorcycles or ‘human helicopters’ (engoozi) to the nearest health center because the terrain was so poor.

Kamara said he bought the ambulance for the health centre at the cost of 13 million shillings. He added: “I saw the way people were suffering and if my voters die who would vote for me?”

Kamara added that this particular health unit has just four beds and less mattresses and bed sheets but before helping to equip the health center, he realised he had to look at easing the referral problem.

Other health units to receive ambulances from Kamara include Buhozi Health Center III and Karehe Health Center II are located 30 and 35 kilometers respectively from Kisoro main hospital. Kamara says the ambulance for these two health facilities cost him 12 million shillings.

The health unit at Buhoozi has got cracks on its main building and this has led authorities to house patients in another inferior building and a private home. Vicent Muvunyi, a peasant, has provided his home to house the sick patients who cannot get services as they go home daily.

Esau Twesime, the chairman of Buhoozi parish, said the area has 7,000 people and appealed for a new building.

Twesime thanked the area MP John Kamara for easing their transport problems and providing the ambulances, which he said will go along way to save lives.

Kamara says the area also faces the challenge of bad roads, which were washed away by torrential rains and landslides. But he said carrying patients on local stretchers across the lake or the hilly areas is “tormenting” and ambulances will help to reduce this burden.

Rutaka Health Center III, in Kirundo subcounty, is badly off too. Kamara says he is sourcing shs 50 millions to buy other ambulances.

Kallen Munyaneeza said the ambulances will help transport seriously ill patients and pregnant women over long distances.

Munyaneeza said:”In all of these places the ambulances are regarded by the health centre staff and the community as a very special gift and highly valued.

“Between them these five ambulances have so far made more than 100 patient journeys, mostly with pregnant mothers.

“Many of these have been in the night and often over 20km distances. No doubt between them they have so far saved many lives of mothers and babies.”

Bufumbira North Constituency is found in Kisoro district, which is bordered by Kanungu district to the North, Kabale district to the East, Democratic Republic of Congo to the West and Kisoro town to the South.

Bufumbira North lies south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and can be accessed by road from Kisoro town and Kabale, the largest city in the sub-region. The area is tucked away in the south west corner of Uganda where it borders Eastern Congo. The area is covered by open water and national forest reserves. Its mountainous and hilly and rises an average of 2,000 meters (6,500ft) above sea level.

Due to the delicate nature of the environment and the pressure of a rapidly increasing population, the natural environment in Bufumbira North is under severe threat of degradation.

While Kisoro area is inhabited by primarily by the Bafumbira, comprising of Hutu, Tutsi and Batwa tribes. Kifumbira, a dialect similar to Kinyarwanda, is spoken in the district. But Bufumbira North, a section of Kisoro District is inhabited by the Bakiga, whose dialect is in between Rukiga and Kifumbira.