By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurewa/ Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: Uganda Red Cross Society has today launched Commercial Ambulances that will be used by those who need VIP first aid as away of raising funds for the institution.
According to Robert Kwesiga the Secretary General of Uganda Red Cross Society ‘there is need to provide adequate resources and these ambulances will only be paid for, they have been branded differently from those known to provide free services to ensure that every one gets free first aid services as per the red cross mandate’.
Mr. Kwesiga assured Ugandans that the institution is working with the Ministry of Works and Transport to strengthen water safety.
He however pointed weakness in first aid provision in Uganda saying it needs to be improved seriously.
Uganda Red Cross Society Commercial Ambulance/Courtesy Photo.
Robert Kwesiga the Secretary General of Uganda Red Cross Society/Courtesy Photo.
He went on to inform that they have constructed a school to train first aidees and that they are looking forward to training adequate service providers and will be shifted to the Red Cross site located in Katosi Industrial Area.
“For effective services provision, we have thought of going in schools to train students and teachers, skill them on how to provide first aid in case and these skills may even be used outside school to The community”. Mr. Kwesiga.
The funds that gave been used to purchase these ambulances were got from donors and Ugandan government.
Dr. Kirunda Halid the Director Uganda Red Cross Society said that the institution has more than 23million service providers and operates in 193 countries world wide but these mostly provide aid for minor injuries, says there is need to train them provide to professional treatment.
Dr. Kirunda Halid the Director Uganda Red Cross Society/Courtesy Photo.
According to the statistics of 2020 road accidents were 6.2 % out of which 80.6% were males and Uganda is ranked number 6 in the world for registering road accidents which necessitates training of first aides.
Dr. kirunda however informed that there is a vice of selling blood to patients in hospitals an act he termed as un human and un professional. It is against this background that he sought relevant for authorities to investigate into the matter.
Representing Ministry of Health, Dr wanyahe stated that selling blood is criminal and whoever is seen indulging into the act has to be reported to police as it’s against the regulations of the ministry of health and the World Health Organization.
He however informed the public that those who do such are not professional doctors who stand in corridors and use the advantage of stressed patients and covet money from them.
Uganda Red Cross Society frontliners/Courtesy Photo.
He however assured that Ministry will work on it and make sure that no patient pays for blood but also urged the public to know that blood is free in every hospital and there is no need to pay for blood.
He implored Uganda Red Cross Society to use Commercial Ambulances professionally to provide first aid but also free first aid services the existing free ambulances.
Dr wanyahe articulated that it is well with the law regarding Health that one may decide to pay for an ambulance in case he wants at any time to provide medical first aid and save the Life.
These commercial ambulances have been differently branded and can be easily differentiated from the free ambulances to make them work separately.