By Andrew Irumba
Ailing Mukono Municipality MP Hon.Betty Nambooze Bakireke has finally left the country to Manipal Hospital in India where she will undergo a spinal surgery.
Nambooze set off from Bugolobi Medical Center where she had been admitted from Kiruddu Hospital from where she was picked to Entebbe International Airport to catch a flight to India for a third surgery. According to her private secretary, Nambooze left the country at exactly 1pm.
“I will travel even if there is no money. There is a life at stake here and all has to be done, let other things remain out of this as I battle for my life,” Ms Nambooze said when asked whether she had got enough money for her treatment.
According to Ms Nambooze, Parliament released $7,500 (about Shs Shs29m) for her review but it did not consider the fact that she would be treated and re-operated on.
“I hope Parliament can reconsider and release for me the money for treatment. However, if they don’t, I have friends, I won’t die here. A report from the doctors in India indicates that I will need to pay about Shs75m,” she said.
But Mr Chris Obore, the Director of Communication and Public Affairs at Parliament, yesterday said that on June 13, Shs108 million was deposited on the legislator’s bank account to cater for her treatment, per diem and travels with her husband.
Mr Obore also revealed that the Medical Board upon clearance, revised Ms. Nambooze’s treatment, medical and travel bills to $16,000 (Shs61.94m) and Parliament will deposit the remaining $8,500 (Shs32.8m) on her account.
On June 20, Dr Byaruhanga Baterana, the executive director of Mulago Hospital authored a letter to Dr Vidyadhara of Manipal Spine Care Center that Ms. Nambooze had been recommended for further treatment. “We received this 49-year old female patient who reports to have been operated from your facility on November 8, 2017. A week prior to the admission to our facility she developed sudden onset of; several low back pain radiating to the lower limb, worsened by movement and vibrations, chest pain radiation to the precordium, duration of pain lasting three minutes. No associated fainting and epigastric pain,” the letter read in part.
“In view of the patient’s failure to adequately respond to achieve sustained symptom control, the clinic team strongly recommends that the patient be reviewed by the operating surgeon as previously recommended by the medical board,” it adds.
Ms Nambooze has travelled with her husband, Mr Henry Bakireke and her personal nurse.
