By DR. AGASHA DOREEN BIRUNGI | Project leader
Hospice Africa Uganda launched a project titled "Bringing palliative care closer to communities" in December 2021 on the GlobalGiving platform. The project is designed to support Hospice Africa Uganda to take Hospice and Palliative care to the patient that needs it at the most, where the patient is. The project aims to support home based care as well as Palliative care outreaches.
In Uganda, like other Low and Middle Income countries, patients with advanced cancer and other debilitating illnesses will most likely be at home, especially when they are closer to the end of life. They are unlikely to be in hospital. Over the course of their illness, they will have spent most of their savings on investigations of the illness and treatments, leaving them in poverty. It is these patients that need Hospice and Palliative care services the most.
It would be easier for Hospice Africa Uganda teams to stay at our centres and expect patients to come to us but we would be leaving out several people unable to come to the health facility. We would be leaving out those that are in greater need of Hospice and Palliative care.
Going out to home visits and outreaches is a very effective way to ensure that Hospice and Palliative care reaches all who need it but it is costly also. Thus the project. So far we have raised $1,963, which is 2.5% of our target. We thank all our donors that have helped us realise this amount.
From January 2022 to November 2022, we have conducted 1,436 home visits. Every month, an average of 131 patients have benefitted from a home visit.
From January 2022 to November 2022, we have had 908 patient reviews at the outreaches. Every month, an average of 83 patients have benefitted from an outreach.
When we go out to see patients at their homes or very near their homes such as it is with the outreaches, we take our expertise spiced with love and compassion. When a patient smiles like this lady has done and the caretaker sings like this, it is heartwarming. We know that we have made a difference to them. When we take a wheel chair to a bed ridden man at home who wished he could at least see the sun once in a while, we have surely made a difference for that patient. Dying in suffering is unacceptable. If one must die, then they die in dignity. Thank you our donors, Thank you to GlobalGiving for your contribution to reducing health related suffering and increasing access to Hospice and Palliative care.
I will leave you with this quote by one of our patients, “Thank you so much for valuing me and travelling all that long distance to come and see me. I did not expect you can leave all your work and travel all that long distance from Hoima to come and see me. You are amazing people….”
Many thanks again. Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2023 to you all.
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By Dr. Agasha Doreen Birungi | Project Leader
By DR. AGASHA DOREEN BIRUNGI | Project leader
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