On Tuesday around 06:40pm I was from field supervising the state of our health centres in Kalangala District as instrcted by ONC Chief Hajjati Hadijjah Namyalo.
I landed on a fatal accident involved a car Wish Registration No UBG 134 B with five occupants, three young girls (a pair of twins and their elder sister) around 19-22yrs.
They had escaped from home in Lwengo District to come visit Kalangala District two boys who ran away from the scene, they were on rush to meet the last ferry which leaves at exactly 6:00PM which had already left.
I was among the first people to reach the scene, surprisingly, found people taking pictures without help and the girls were stuck in the car screaming to be saved!
The people around were not responding or helping, I don’t know but Ugandans are heartless! I discovered that they help those they know and the vehicle was not known in the District no one cared to help! some were only just looking, taking pictures move away, others asked for fuel to take the patients to hospital.
The driver and the so called boyfriend had already escaped, terrible!
I begged and cried but one Lorry driver found me screaming for help and turned his vehicle finally we took them to a nearby health centre II known as SIAAP in Bugoma but unfortunately one of the girls died in my hands .
We left her body lying there and we rushed with the two girls (Twins).
I later learnt that the deceased was called Nantongo Maria Roy (RIP) .
We reached at the health Centre II found 2 Nurses were there but nothing in the facility only gloves.
I ran to the nearby clinics and got the drugs what the health workers wanted to save the remaining two girls.
After the emergency first aid we realized that one of the girls had a broken arm and leg another one was vomiting blood which was too risky to handle at the health centre 11.
And health centre IV which is at Kalangala was also far and we thought we might find when they also don’t have what is needed.
We had to look for a boat to take them to Masaka immediately, which costed us 100,000 Uganda shillings and another vehicle to wait in Bukakata side to take them to Masaka General referral hospital.
As i Try to connect to get the relatives using one of the girl’s phone, i got a phone number of the GISO Kingo sub county in Lwengo District who gave us the number of the Chairperson Kakunyu village who later helped and traced the family and joined me very late in the night.
My phone battery was done to only make calls since I was using it in my field visits.
I Left them in the safe hands of the relatives and Heath workers who to saved their lives.
This was my worse experience in life, but a lesson that helping someone does not necessarily mean to help those you know, every life matters,,,
Drive safely always.
Namisango Harriet ONC Coordinator Kalangala
ONC Coordinator Kalangala