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Divine Medicare Centre (KMC) is a community-owned health center III facility, providing maternity, laboratory, and admission services. It was established in February 2006 in the suburbs of Wakiso district. Realizing the appalling nature of community members’ health, community members brought together resources and funds to have a place where they could seek medical services. Presently, the Ugandan health sector is financed mainly by foreign aid and partly by public budget. Even so, government health centers do not have enough drugs to supply their patients, who then seek out other alternatives. Community-owned health facilities, however, do not receive such funding and as a result pass on the ever-increasing costs of medical supplies and drugs to the poor man at community level. Consequently, MANY DIE OF OTHERWISE PREVENTABLE OR CURABLE DISEASES (Bulletin of the World Health Organization on Uganda).
Such diseases include: * Malaria (the number one killer) * Typhoid * HIV/AIDS * Smallpox * Syphilis * Gonorrhea * Measles * Hypertension * Diabetes * Candidiasis * Pneumonia * Fungal infections * Poisonings * Road traffic accidents The health center has a catchment of six villages and receives an average of 30 patients per day. We would wish to offer free services, but due to the lack of medical supplies and drugs, the patients are made to pay a little fee to cater for the running costs of the health center. The biggest challenge in our effort to offer low-priced quality services is the lack of drugs and medical equipment. However, such supplies are very expensive from pharmaceutical companies and even from the drug outlets.  PROBLEM SITUATION Due to the high costs of drug and medical equipment in Uganda today, Kawaala Medicare Center can hardly provide quality health services as promised to the community. We do not have the essential drugs to cater for the ever increasing demand of our patients. As a result, even minor operations have been stopped amidst the qualified personnel at the health center. This setback is alarming given that most people in Uganda are peasants who can hardly afford private medical services. Poor people are supposed to receive free health services from the government but the government facilities are not well-stocked. Private services are often much closer to the people but are also more expensive. It is therefore imperative to support Divine Medicare Centre in its effort to have effective medical services for the people through the provision of medical supplies, drugs and medical equipment/instruments. Who are we? Divine Medicare Centre (DMC) is a community-owned health centre III facility, which has been serving the people since 2006. Outpatient department includes: * Laboratory * Dental clinic * Ophthalmic clinic * Maternity * Family planning * Minor theater (e.g. dressing, suturing, circumcisions) * Counseling * Community-based programs such as: o Health education o Eye check-ups o Secondary School Voluntary Counseling and Testing (SSVCT) o Medical outreach The health facility is blessed to have access to health workers of all calibers, specifically: * 2 Doctors * 2 Clinical officers * 1 Community psychologist * 1 Counselor * 2 Enrolled nurses * 1 Midwife The health workers are dedicated to the service of humanity in the face of a challenging situation. Our motto is “Quality Care.” We have a catchment area of approximately 20,000 people, with about 16 secondary schools. Obstacles to treatment in poor countries Many factors influence access to life-saving medicines in developing countries: * Quality of diagnosis * Prescription selection * Distribution and dispensing of medicine * Drug quality * Capacities of health systems and budgets * Lack of research and development However, the price of medicine remains the most formidable barrier. The media spotlight continues to focus on AIDS, but the price of medicine also affects people suffering from other diseases. Our governments cannot afford such high prices for medicine when running a health system, and neither can community-owned health centers like Divine Medicare Centre, making it become almost impossible to offer medical services. Objectives * To improve medical services provided to the community * To strengthen the operational capacity of Divine Medicare Center Despite all the challenges encountered in the delivery of medical services to the community, the health workers at DMC are strongly committed to their call of fighting diseases. As a health centre III facility, we have special interest in treating and curing the people who seek medical services.  Community-based programs Community-based programs offered by Divine Medicare Center include medical outreach, health education, and voluntary counseling and testing. 1. Medical outreach Through the establishment of Divine Medicare Centre, National Youth Empowerment Network (NYEN) organizes medical outreaches in the villages of Wakiso district, where we provide services like:
* Treatment of minor ailments such as malaria, abdominal pain, coughing, headaches, worms, syphilis, gonorrhea * Dental and eye examinations
* Weight measurements for children and adults * Condom distribution and family planning advise The government and partners/sponsors should facilitate such medical outreaches organized by NGOs and community-based health facilities. With such support, we can provide quality medical services to our people who are in dire need of health services.
2. Health education Through the health facility, we carry out health education services to youth in schools and in communities, during which we teach them about the different health conditions that are affecting the youth and provide them with knowledge on how they can protect themselves from such dangers. We all know that prevention is better than treatment after the fact.
3. Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) This program offers counseling and testing services to the youth through both of the following:
* Community voluntary counseling and testing * Secondary school voluntary counseling and testing.
The latter is more efficient since youth are already present at school for VCT whereas community members must come on their own will. In both cases, health education comes prior to the testing itself. We offer progressive monitoring and care to the students through the formation of abstinence clubs in the schools. The students and management of the schools have always been responsive to this call of VCT but we have major setbacks, given that services are offered FREELY. Certain items are greatly needed for this service: * HIV strips * Syringes
* Manual centrifuge * Disposable gloves * Disinfectants * Cotton A greater supply of these items will allow an increase in the number of students, teachers and secondary schools covered, thus improving the protection and survival of these youth against the deadly pandemic of HIV/AIDS. National Youth Empowerment Network alongside Divine Medicare Center has carried out various Medical Outreaches in Nsenku Wakiso District and Buvuma Island along side Buyanga Health Center III. During these outreaches about 100 people were treated from the various villages which were chosen. Contact Information: P.O. Box 11548 Kampala, Uganda, East Africa
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