Mps Launch Support Fund for Health Workers Managing COVID-19

By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba

The Western Region Parliamentary Task Force on COVID-19 has launched a Support Finacial campaign titled “Rodney Fund” to facilitate the purchase of drugs for Health workers who contract COVID-19 while on duty in Kabale District.

The Rodney Fund is named after “Rodney Tabaruka, “the senior pharmacist in charge of the drug store at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital – K.R.R.H. According to Kabale Municipality Mp Dr. Nicholas Theddeus Kamara, while touring Kigezi in mid-July this year, the Western Region Parliamentary Task Force on COVID-19 found out that Health workers were struggling to raise funds for their own medication after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.

The MPs led by Hoima City Legislator Joseph Ruyonga decided to start up the Rodney Fund specifically to act as backup for the purchase of medicine to support COVID-19 infected health workers at Kabale regional referral hospital.

Dr. Kamara explained that the initiative was meant to supplement the government’s efforts and to also awaken responsible planning authorities in charge of the health sector. He said it was unfortunate that Health workers should struggle to pay for their own medical bills even when they fall sick while in the line of duty.

Dr. Christopher Wagobera, in charge of the COVID-19 Treatment Centre, said that so far, over 65 health workers have contracted COVID in Kabale. No one has died, but they have had challenges meeting the costs of their own treatment, especially when it comes to buying medicines.

Senior Pharmacist Rodney Tabaruka said that they lack essential drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 including Tocilizumab whose full dosage costs around 10.5 million for a single patient, and clexane which is used to treat thrombosis.

He said that in most cases they ask patients to buy the drugs because the National Medical Stores do not include such drugs in the packages sent to government hospitals.

The Kabale Regional Referral Hospital Asst. Director Dr, Ann Marion Namutebi commended the Mps for the generosity they demonstrated for health workers at the hospital. Namutebi said their doors were open to anyone else willing to contribute to the Rodney Fund for the wellbeing of the staff at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Rodney Fund was launched with UGX 7 million contributed by the legislators on the Western Uganda Parliamentary Taskforce on COVID-19. Area Mp Dr, Nicholas Kamara contributed 4 million out of the seven million shillings.

By the time of filing this story, 4 million shillings had already been used to buy some of the basic drugs for managing COVID-19 at Kabale regional referral hospital.