Humanist

We are frantically trying to find the money to pay a seven million shillings plus medical bill. Yes, woe upon you who gets a head injury while in Entebbe.

There isn’t a single hospital – public or private – in the municipality that hosts Uganda’s only international airport and State House, which is equipped and human resourced to manage head injuries.

What then for Entebbe dwellers? On 8^th January 2024, my older brother, Fred Tukei, while standing in his front yard at his home in Nakiwogo, in Entebbe, lost consciousness, collapsed, fell and hit his head on a bolder and sustained significant head injuries.

His wife, Sarah, and his eldest son, Isaac, assisted by their neighbour and friend, rushed our Tukei to a nearby clinic. On getting there, they were informed that his case was too complex to be managed at the clinic.

They were advised to take him to  Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, the only Government of Uganda hospital of substance in Entebbe. Whilst there, they were told that our Tukei’s case, he was unconscious, seizing and with significant head trauma, could not be managed by Entebbe Hospital.

They were advised to take him to St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, a private hospital owned by the Catholic Church. At which point our younger brother, James, had been informed and he had joined the team at Entebbe Hospital.

My older sister, Pamela, who lives abroad had also been informed. She had instantly sent all the money she had on her at the time, in order to hire an ambulance to take Tukei, whose life was hanging on by a thread, to Nsambya Hospital, and to cover first aid costs at Entebbe.

An ambulance was got and the team rushed our Tukei to Nsambya Hospital where he was taken straight in for surgery. The procedure went well – swelling of his brain (and head), and internal bleeding in his head was stopped.

Thereafter, medical teams closely monitored him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Two nights and a day later, Tukei had responded well to the medical interventions and was well enough to be moved out of ICU, but stay still admitted at Nsambya Hospital for further care.

He is responding well and it is expected that he will be well enough to be discharged from hospital on Monday, 15^th January 2024, exactly one week since he was taken ill.

Others who have been unfortunate to be afflicted with head injuries while in Entebbe, sadly, lost their lives. The most famous, perhaps, being the late Moses Ssekibogo (aka Mowzey Radio).

Stories abound about the harrowing experience Mowzey’s loved ones went through trying to get him the urgent life-saving medical care that he needed.

Tukei Fred at his home at Nakiwogo in Entebbe, in happier times.

Unlike our Tukei, the late Ssekibogo was unfortunate that when he sustained head injuries and he was rushed from Entebbe to Nsambya Hospital, “doctors declined to admit him because the hospital ICU was full.”

His loved ones then rushed him to another private hospital, Case Hospital, where he apparently succumbed to his injuries and died, about a week after and before the requisite life-saving surgery that he needed was done.

Ironically, at the time of the late Ssekibogo’s plight, his loved ones were criticized for not having taken him to the VIP Section of the Entebbe Hospital.

At the time, five years ago, the VIP Section at Entebbe Hospital had reportedly been refurbished and up-graded to manage such head injuries and to “handle the biggest medical emergencies at international standards.”

Whatever became of it, for this is the same Entebbe Hospital from whence our Tukei was referred to Nsambya Hospital.

Unlike the late Ssekibogo, our Tukei is not an international celebrity and so his plight will not come to the attention of President Museveni. I don’t expect that Tukei and us his family will receive a donation of 30 million shillings from the president to cover Tukei’s medical costs, as did late Ssekibogo and family.

We, Tukei’s loved ones, are on our own. If we don’t come up with the money to cover the medical bills, we fear our Tukei will be detained at the hospital until we do so, even though he is well.

We are, therefore, forever indebted and grateful to Tukei’s friends who are in harambee mode, making contributions towards his medical bills. We have not yet met our target but we keep hope alive.

While, of course, I would be delighted to get a donation from the president to cover Tukei’s bill, I wish more that the president causes Ministry of Health to investigate why the VIP Section at Entebbe Hospital was not able to manage Tukei’s head injuries.

And to use the findings of the investigation to rectify that gone wrong and to ensure that Entebbe Hospital, as it was intended to do, is able to “handle the biggest medical emergencies at international standards.”

In preparation to host the 19^th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that is is taking place next week:

• Uganda tarmacked the road from Entebbe Airport to the venue, Munyonyo Common Wealth Resort
• Made the road to the venue beautiful with painted curbs
• Planted flowers along the road to the venue.

This is well and good. But, even though highly unlikely, what then, if our guests suffer head injuries and have other ‘big medical emergencies’ while in Entebbe?