Lions Club extends free medical services to 1500 Kamwokya residents

For the fourth time, Lions Club of Uganda has extended screening of diabetes and eye treatment to residents of Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb.

The exercise, according to the new Lions Club of Uganda Governor Dans Naturinda, is aimed at giving a humanitarian gesture to community residents, who cannot afford to pay for eye glasses and treatment of diabetes.

“We are planning on a big project of USD 1.5 million for diabetes and eye screening across Uganda’s major regions, starting with Eastern and Western region”, said Naturinda, while addressing journalists at Kamwokya Christian Community Health Centre on Friday.

He said diabetes has turned out to be a silent epidemic in Uganda and called upon Ugandans to join Lions Club to curb the vice.

“The good things we do to others are better than what we do for ourselves," he added.

Dr Grace Ssali, a member of Lions Club, who led the screening team of medical personnel at the Health Centre, said treatment of cataract disease of the eye is very expensive for the local poor communities.

She said on Friday alone, her team was able to screen over 1500 patients. She noted that; her team is committed in eye surgery activities to save the community from blindness.

“In addition, we sensitize communities on balanced diet feeding habits, where they should consume green vegetables to avoid contracting trachoma, a condition that brings blindness in a person”, she said.

She said five patients were referred to Mulago hospital for special treatment, while majority received free reading glasses.

Israel Manzi, the Chairman, Lions Club of Kampala, said their team also planted 10 trees at Makerere University on the same occasion, in their quest to guarantee environment conservation.