The Last Batch of Stranded Cancer Patients Head Home
The management of Uganda Cancer Institute has today flagged off the last batch of patients who had been stranded at the Institute premises due to the lockdown on public transport.
Following the departure of the first group of over 100 patients left two weeks ago to the different regions of the country; however, only reaming patients who have left today are from the northern and eastern region about 70 in number.
The patients had completed their full treatment at the facility but couldn’t access means of transport to go back home since the country is under partial lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
” This is the second batch of our patients, that we are sending home, you remember the first batch, were also stranded because they had run out of money, no transport to take them back home, that’s why we have mobilized with the national Covid- taskforce working with the Zaward bus services, they have given us two busses to help take them home Dr. Jackson Orem (UCI) executive director explained.
He said that the task force through the ministry of works has given Uganda cancer institute, to work with Zawadi coach company to transport the patients, and two buses are provided with fuel by the institute one heading to the north and the east.
According to Dr. Jackson Orem, the executive director Uganda cancer institute (UCI) majority of these patients are outpatients from the Northern and Eastern parts of the country.
He advised the patients to take precautions of them by following guidelines to avoid COVID saying that cancer patients are one of the high-risk groups for COVID-19.
The first group of discharged patients headed to different directions across the country with some who came as far as Arua and Kabale in the southwest of the country among other places.
