Senior Reporter
Kigezi Social Work Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to serving the needs of women and other community members involved in hunting, is seeking to secure UGX 350 million for the purchase of a life-saving ambulance. This ambulance will be used to provide vital assistance to expectant mothers in the region.
To raise the necessary funds, the organizers have arranged an eagerly awaited event, the Kigezi Marathon, scheduled for November 4, 2023. The main aim of this marathon, as stated by Sam Kanyamukiza, the Chairperson of the organizing committee, is to generate the required funds to acquire the UGX 350 million ambulance. Kanyamukiza emphasized that as part of their efforts to encourage community participation and engagement, the foundation has prepared various exciting prizes for participants, making the marathon not only a race but also a celebration of unity and compassion.
Dennis Tumwekwase, the Head of the Kigezi Social Work Foundation, mentioned that a series of preliminary events will precede the inaugural marathon. These events have been thoughtfully designed to improve the participants’ quality of life, aligning with the foundation’s mission of promoting overall well-being.
Two months ago, healthcare professionals in the picturesque Kigezi Sub-region, led by Dr. Abdon Birungi, who serves as the Chairperson of District Health Officers in the six districts comprising Kigezi Sub-region, made a request to the Ministry of Health. They called for the allocation of an ambulance to each Health Center IV in the area. This request was made to address the urgent issues of patient accessibility, particularly in remote and challenging-to-reach locations within the region.
Dr. Birungi, who also holds the position of District Health Officer for Rubanda, emphasized that most Health Center IV facilities in the region depend on ambulances stationed at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. These ambulances sometimes face difficulties in delivering timely services to certain remote areas.
