SHEEMA, December 12, 2023 – Hundreds of members of Shuuku Savings and Credit Cooperative Society Organisation [ Shuuku SACCO ] and the rest of the community of Shuuku town council, Sheema district continue to visit the SACCO’s head office to get free medical checkups that began yesterday.
The residents are getting free services courtesy of a two-day medical camp organised by the SACCO in partnership with The Uhuru Institute for Social Development [TUI], and Liberty Life Assurance.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shuuku SACCO, Stephen Bongonzya emphasised the need and importance of such regular free health checkups.
“As an organisation, we believe there is a need for extending free medical checkups to the elderly population since they believe that medicine is expensive and they still have dependents,” Bongonzya said.
He said that the medical camp which ends today is in line with the 7th principle of cooperatives [concern for community].
He said there is a need to test the people of Sheema for HIV/AIDS in order to save them from future health and financial challenges, noting that neighbouring Mbarara has the highest number of new cases of the disease in Uganda.
“Most of these people are 51+ years of age; therefore, we are reducing their financial burdens, Bagonza remarked.
He said they have partnered with different business partners, including TUI and Liberty Life Assurance in order to offer free medical services to the communities.
In a related development, Dr. Grace Tayebwa of AAR Insurance attached to the Mbarara Regional Office noted that most of the people who turned up for the free medical camp are women over the age of 50 who are battling with non-communicable diseases.
“The few that have come that are below 50 years have urinary tract infections [STIs],” the doctor said.
Additionally, Dr. Tayebwa stated that medical camps are important for the early detection of diseases; however, she decried the shortage of manpower for such medical camps.
Agatha Namara, the Head of Retail and Accounts of Liberty Life Insurance Company, said their inspiration for extending a medical camp to the community in Sheema district is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
She commended the community for turning up for the activity on time and urged more companies to support medical camps, saying that they help local population to get medical services easily.
Speaking at the medical camp, Leonard Okello, the Chief Executive Officer of TUI, stated that the area of major focus includes high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other body weaknesses.
He commended the different partners that have joined hands to ensure the success of such a noble cause and encouraged everyone to embrace this initiative as an opportunity for growth, self-reflection, and positive change.
https://thecooperator.news/over-4000-amolatar-residents-get-free-medical-care/
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