Ms Nazziwa Mercy , a patient with aplastic anaemia awaiting her blood transfusion procedure at UCI, Mulago.
Mercy Nazziwa, a resident of Ntinda suburb in Kampala, is seeking for support of about Shs168m needed for a bone marrow transplant in an Indian hospital as government defends its failure to treat most complicated cases.
Nazziwa, 36, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in November last year and she is currently receiving supportive care treatment at the Uganda Cancer Institute located in Mulago.
Aplastic anemia is a condition that occurs when the body stops producing enough new blood cells. It leaves patients feeling fatigued and with a high risk of infections due to uncontrollable bleeding.
Mr Charles Mukasa, the husband says the condition has left his wife very weak and in much pain
“She currently coughs blood, bleeds from the nose and when she goes into menstruation, her bleeding extends for more than two weeks due to lack of a clotting component in her blood,” said Mr Mukasa.
He added that his wife is currently on weekly blood and platelet transfusions in addition to drugs to prevent life threating infections.
“I spend about Shs200, 000 per week buying the medications required to treat any infections that could be arising, he says, adding at times the cancer institute is a challenged with shortage of blood required for transfusion.
In a recommendation letter, Dr Henry Ddungu, a consultant hematologist at UCI says Nazziwa needs about $50,000 (Shs168m) to assist her receive a lifesaving bone marrow transplant from India.
“A bone marrow transplant is Mercy’s only chance for long term survival. However this procedure is very expensive and is currently not done in Uganda,” Dr Ddungu says, adding that Nazziwa needs assistance to help her raise the money.
Dr Ddungu explains that the diseases causes failure of her bone marrow to produce blood cells like red blood cells essential for carrying oxygen to the body and platelets which prevent bleeding and white blood cells which help her immune system to fight infections.
Nazziwa’s ordeal comes barely a week after a fundraising seeking to help Carol Atuhirwe, a throat and lung cancer patient, who also needs about Shs270m to undergo surgery in the United States but still has a deficit of about Shs70m.
This dilemma is not only for the two patients but for several other patients in Uganda who are in need of support to have treatment in international hospitals.
Ms Joy Asasira, a Programme Manager at the Center for health, Human rights and Development (CEHURD) says government has failed to fulfill its obligations of providing quality health care to its citizens.
“As a human rights advocate, I think government has an obligation of providing health services and commodities like the cancer machine and it has failed in the that regard,” Ms Asasira said.
However, the Health Minister Elioda Tumwesigye defended government saying that it’s not abandoned its people.
“We are trying to establish capacity to handle all patients with complicated cases here. We have a plan to build an international specialized hospital and also looking at equipping the Heart and Cancer Institutes to be able to handle these cases,” Dr Tumwesigye said.
Currently, Dr Tumwesigye says that in the short-term, the budget for international referrals is underfunded hence not able to cater for every patient.
“We have a medical board which accesses the patients for international referrals and there is a case by case consideration,” he says. He notes that the most important thing for government is to build capacity and have all patients handled in Uganda.
Utility
For any financial assistance, donate to Nazziwa Mercy, through her;
Centenary Back account: Name Nazziwa Mercy & Mukasa Charles, Account Number 3620100635
Mobile Money numbers Nazziwa Mercy 0782960019 and Mukasa Charles 0779391140
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