The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Thirty nationals of Ireland have raised over sh400 million (107,000 Euros) that will go to promoting palliative care in Uganda
Palliative care is a form of medicine that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and suffering caused by serious illness. It also aims at improving the quality of life for patients by addressing their physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs rather than attempting to cure the illness.
Through their umbrella body, Friends of Ambrose Blain, the 30 Irish have donated the funds to Hospice Africa Uganda to support its palliative care activities.
Prossy Nakyanja, the Executive Director of Hospice Africa Uganda, said that the drivers conducted a fundraising drive called “Drive for Hospice,” collecting over 107,000 Euros.
Nakyanja said that the donation would help bridge the budget gap for the financial year 2024/2025 and support many of the activities they are carrying out. She added that the organization had to cut back on many of its palliative care activities due to a lack of funds.
“Now, with the funding from the friends of Ambrose, we are able to resume most of the activities, such as day care, community outreaches to reach people in need of palliative care, and home visits,” Nakyanja remarked.
However, Nakyanja also said there is still a challenge in the acceptance of palliative care among Ugandans, stressing the need for extensive advocacy to help people understand the concept. She added that there is a misconception that palliative care is only for people at the edge of dying, something that Hospice Africa Uganda is trying to demystify.
According to Nakyanja, Hospice Africa Uganda works with 500 to 1,000 patients across all the various modes of care offered at the three sites of Hospice Africa Uganda.
John O’Kelly, the team leader, said they drove ambulances donated to Uganda by the Japanese government from Dar-es-Salaam to Kampala as an adventure, also using it as an opportunity to raise funds for Hospice Africa Uganda. He added that they plan to continue collecting funds to increase the amount already raised.
He also mentioned that they would develop different adventure programs in the future to continue contributing and donating to Hospice Africa to support people in need of palliative care.
The government of Japan is to donate ambulances to the Ministry of Health, which were driven into the country from Dar-es-Salaam to Kampala by volunteers from Ireland as part of the adventure and fundraising initiative.
Hospice Africa Uganda’s work extends beyond Uganda, spreading palliative care throughout the African continent through its Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care which trains healthcare workers from across Africa in palliative care, sharing the vision of accessible, compassionate care.
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