By Jamillah Kemigisa
Dr. Richard Obet, the District Health Officer of Bunyangabu district, has issued a passionate appeal to the government to establish a dedicated palliative care unit at Kibiito Health Center IV. He emphasized that the absence of such services forces patients with incurable diseases, like cancer, to undertake costly and exhausting journeys to Kampala for pain management.
“These drugs are meant to reduce pain and help patients live more comfortably, but they can’t be given for home use,” Dr. Obet explained. “If patients take them unsupervised, they risk becoming addicted. This is why many are required to travel frequently to Kampala just to access treatment — a cost too high for many to afford.”
Despite Kibiito Health Center IV being operational since the 1990s, Dr. Obet noted that the facility still lacks infrastructure for treating chronic and incurable conditions. This gap in healthcare provision has led to patients missing critical doses or abandoning treatment altogether, resulting in premature deaths.
The situation in Bunyangabu reflects a broader national issue. According to the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), only 11% of Ugandans in need of palliative care can access it. A study published in BMC Palliative Care revealed that 70% of accredited facilities in Uganda cannot offer the full range of palliative care services due to lack of resources and trained personnel.
In response to these challenges, the Ugandan government has taken steps to integrate palliative care into the national health system. In March 2021, the Ministry of Health directed all public hospitals to allocate space for palliative care units. Furthermore, positions for palliative care nurses have been introduced at Health Center Levels III and IV.
However, implementation remains uneven. Many districts, including Bunyangabu, still lack functional palliative care services. Dr. Obet’s appeal highlights the urgent need for the government to fulfill its commitments and ensure that facilities like Kibiito Health Center IV are equipped to provide comprehensive care for patients with life-threatening illnesses.
“People are dying not because their time has come, but because they can’t access treatment,” Dr. Obet added. “We need to bring these services closer to the people to prevent unnecessary suffering and loss of life.”
The call for action is clear: without immediate investment in palliative care infrastructure and personnel, patients in Bunyangabu and across Uganda will continue to face insurmountable barriers to accessing the care they desperately need.
