By Gladys Kigozi
Mukono
When the Ministry of Health embarked on the Covid-19 immunisation exercise, citizens cited several challenges hindering them from going for it, among them included transport difficulties. Of late, the Mukono district Health Team has extended the services to the village level.
Agnes Namutebi 70, a resident of Lwanyonyi Village in Nama Sub-county, Mukono District, has appreciated the health team for extending vaccination services to her village.
“I had no transport to go for vaccination at Mukono General Hospital. Good enough, my area chairman informed me that the health team had extended the vaccines to my village and I went for vaccination at Lwanyonyi Primary School,” she said.
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She added: “I had friends also who were going to miss out on this exercise due to long distances and lack of transport to the vaccination centres but they have also turned up for the jab now that the services have been brought closer.”
Tom Byekwaso a visually impaired resident of Nsambwe in Mukono Municipality, said he was to miss out on immunisation if it was not extended to his village since he is unable to move to Goma Health Centre 111 for immunisation.
“When I heard the good news of extending vaccination to Nsambwe playgrounds, I was relieved. I went there early in the morning and the health team attended to me very fast,’ he said.
Ms Teddy Namusoke 72 a market vendor at Kakinzi market in Nakifuma_ Naggalama Town Council says she has appreciated the initiative.
She said many market vendors would have missed out due to several challenges including failure to find time to go distant vaccination centers among others.
Mr Christopher Lubanga, the LC 1 Chairman of Nakabago village in Mukono Municipality says the immunization exercise has moved on smoothly.
“The exercise has been conducted at our playgrounds and the turn up is so good,” he said.
Ms Annet Nakanwagi, the woman councilor representing persons with disabilities (PWDs) at the district council, also appreciated the Health team for this initiative.
She said many PWDs and the elderly would have missed out due to several challenges including transport difficulties and negative information about the vaccine, among others.
Ms Betty Hope Nakasi, the Mukono District Speaker, said as the district leadership, they are thankful to the district health team for coming up with this initiative and has called for the continued extension of such services to locals for all immunisable diseases.
“Having immunisation exercise at the village level has saved locals time and transport costs to the distant immunisation centres. Many would have missed out since Covid-19 has affected them so much to the extent of some sleeping on empty stomachs, she said.
The District Health Officer Dr Stephen Mulindwa says that there has been reluctance from the community in going for vaccination and in implementing the standard operating procedures ( SOPs) as all the attention of late has been put on Ebola.
Dr Mulindwa said that they had to bring services closer to the locals as one of the ways of encouraging them to vaccinate, He has cautioned the people that they shouldn’t forget that Covid 19 is deadly and still with us.
He says vaccination is going to be rolled out in the entire district for the whole week and called on locals to use this opportunity to vaccinate.
According to Dr Mulindwa, the number of people vaccinated for the 1st dose stands at 375180, cumulative number of 2nd dose recipients is at 287773 and 13937 for the boaster dose.
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