American-based organisation organises health camp in Serere district

Serere | The mPower Approach, a US-based organisation, has launched a health camp at Serere District Health Centre IV.

The camp offers dental health services and malaria treatment to the local community.

mPower Approach is a non-profit organisation dedicated to assisting mission-oriented ministries and local indigenous churches.

They provide these groups with the technology, training, and operational skills required to carry out their mission of proclaiming the name of Christ in a self-sustaining way.

A delegation of healthcare professionals has arrived in Serere for a week-long health camp that will primarily focus on dental care and malaria cases.

Dr. Tim Williams, team leader, stated that they had trained eight local health workers in the necessary skills to handle various dental issues.

These trained health workers will continue to serve the community even after the mPower team has left.

The health workers were trained in dental hygiene, extraction, and suturing techniques.

Dr. Williams stated that they would leave some equipment with the district to help alleviate the shortages in various facilities.

Dr. Joseph James Otim, in charge of Serere Health Centre IV, acknowledged that dental health has been a significant challenge.

He said the centre sees at least 20 dental patients per day, and some complicated cases are referred to Soroti.

Dr. Otim praised the mPower team for training health workers from health centres III, including Katete, Kyere, Atiira, Ocaapa, and Olio.

This training will allow these centres to provide dental care at lower levels, reducing the patient load at Health Centre IV.

Emmanuel Okot, Serere’s Resident District Commissioner (RDC), emphasised the importance of development partners and health camps in supplementing government efforts to improve the country’s healthcare systems.

He emphasised that a healthy community is a productive one, and that prioritising health fosters a positive mindset conducive to development.

Emmanuel Omoding, Serere County Member of Parliament (MP), has pledged to lobby for more health camps and health worker training across all district facilities in order to broaden the scope of services.

He promised to secure more equipment and organise a free general health services camp for Serere residents next year.

Fred Opolot, MP for Pingire County, praised the mPower team for providing local health workers with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat dental issues, as these trained individuals interact with communities on a daily basis.

He mentioned that local communities suffer from dental problems and malaria, which impair their health and productivity.

John Edwani, a Kateta sub-county resident who came to the facility for dental care, told the staff that he has had dental problems for 30 years and has lost eight teeth.

He hopes that the dental health camp will relieve his pain and suffering, allowing him to chew food with both sides of his jaw again.

Janet Helen Alago, another patient seeking dental care, described how her dental problems had affected one side of her jaw, making it difficult to chew food properly.

She hopes the camp will provide the assistance she requires.

By Robert Edwomu.