Uganda: Panyadoli Healthcare Project

Margaret Acen

Margaret Acen, a two year old refugee from cluster N was brought to us with fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. After a laboratory investigation, she was diagnosed with severe malaria and admitted in the pediatric ward. Her treatment was on IM Diclofenac 50mg stat to relieve the pain, IV Quinine 90mg in 90 ml of 5% dextrose for 3 doses, IV X-pen I mu 6hourly for 3 doses.

Her mother narrates:

“I came to this Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement from South Sudan in early 2000 with three children. These three children of mine were born in Southern Sudan with my real husband who married me before we took refuge in Uganda as result of the earlier war in Sudan. My husband was a business man; he was burnt alive on the road with others by the rebels.

Due to the difficulty of living alone, I got another man here in the camp and produced my other four children in this Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement; this is the man who is now taking care of me and my children without segregating them on fraternal lines.

Margret is now our lastborn as we have decided to jointly enroll for family planning. My husband willingly allowed me to enroll for a family planning method called tubal ligation under a program of Real Medicine Foundation (RMF) on family health which is now being implemented under the reproductive program of IRC. And because of that, we now have no fear of any pregnancy in the family and this is now giving us ample time for productive roles in the family. As we struggle to support ourselves, we thank RMF for supporting our health. Am now sure of my child’s health whether I have money or not”.

Kavio Amos

Kavio Amos, four years old and a refugee from cluster G had cough, fever and general body weakness and through laboratory investigation, he was diagnosed with severe malaria and chronic respiratory tract infection. His treatment was based on IV Artesunate 60mg 12 hourly for 3 doses, IV X-pen 1 mu 6hourly for 3 doses; tablets Amoxicillin 250mg tds for 5days, tablet Paracetamol tds for 3 days.

Kavio is a recent refugee who came with nothing and totally depends on ratio of food given. When she was received with good attitude and her child being paid attention to, in this free environment where her child was treated with love and care, his mother was able to express her worries to the medical person that attended to her. She was guided and counseled, she felt helped twice. Not only was her child treated and healed, she felt, she was also treated for and supported in her emotional worries.

Merry Amerum

Merry Amerum, 16 years old and a refugee from cluster M/R suffered an assault which resulted in a closed head injury. She was admitted for seven days and her treatment was on the following drugs, IV Furosemid 60mg od, IV Diclofenac 75mg, IV Hydrocortisone 100mg starts, oral IV dextrose 500mls in 5% four hourly for 3 days.

On her way back home from her work place at the Reception Centre Clinic where she is volunteering as a community mobilizer, Merry was assaulted by drunken men who wanted to rape her and in her struggle to escape their hands, she got a closed head injury. She was rushed to health centre III for proper treatment and now she is fully recovering from that injury.

This has become a more common phenomenon in the settlement recently; however, the refugee welfare committees together with the OPM have recruited youths who are now being trained to help guard the community from such evil acts of drunkards in this settlement.