I confirm that the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has no more available space for private patients, as shared by Dr. Jackson Orem, the executive director.
The challenge arises from the current trend where many patients opt for private treatment over the general ward.
This information emerged during the requiem mass for Alice Nakiganda (58), the Zonal Agriculture Development Officer for the Central Region. The mass took place at St. Paul Catholic Parish in Mukono municipality.
Alice Nakiganda and her husband were admitted to Mulago Cancer Institute after a routine check-up. Despite expressing their preference and ability to pay for a private ward, she was assigned a bed in the general ward.
Medical examinations, including a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), revealed tumors in her liver, lungs, and spinal cord, leading to multiple organ failure.
Efforts to secure a spot in the private wing were in vain, as administrators confirmed its continuous full occupancy.
Disappointed by Mulago Cancer Institute’s services, Nakiganda sought a referral to a private hospital. However, her doctor, who had been attending to her for a while, declined, emphasizing that the Cancer Institute provided better monitoring capabilities.
When contacted, Dr. Orem acknowledged that demand for private treatment is high, contributing to the oversubscription of the private wing.
Fr. Paul Ssebitoogo led Nakiganda’s requiem mass, attended by religious leaders, NAADS secretariat staff, and Mukono district staff. Nakiganda had held various roles in the NAADS program and agricultural development.
Nakiganda’s children, Gloria Nanyanzi, Raymond Mukwaya, and Jonathan Yawe, were encouraged to find strength in her passing.
Nakiganda had served as the Mukono district NAADS Coordinator and Zonal Agriculture Development Officer for the Central Region during her career.