Rubanda District Holds Two-Day Free Medical Camp to Bring Healthcare Closer to Vulnerable Communities
Story by Kobugabe Joanita – Communication Officer, Rubanda DLG
Rubanda District, in collaboration with Kabale Regional Referral Hospital and the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), has organised a two-day free medical camp at Rubanda District Headquarters aimed at bringing healthcare services closer to vulnerable populations.
The medical camp, running from 19th to 20th August 2026, is targeting between 1,500 and 2,000 rural residents with various health concerns. According to the Rubanda District Health Officer, Mr. David Mporampora, a total of 40 trained medical workers have been deployed to provide services during the camp.
Mr. Mporampora said the medical camp is offering free consultations, medical testing and treatment, clinical care and medicines to rural families.
He explained that the services being provided include cancer screening, diabetes and hypertension screening, HIV testing, tuberculosis screening, dental care, family planning, circumcision and paediatric services, among others.
The medical camp was officially opened by the Rubanda Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Kyeeyune Senyojo, together with the Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Bindeeba Hillary.
Mr. Kyeeyune encouraged community members to regularly seek medical check-ups in order to detect illnesses early and maintain healthy lives. He also reminded residents that the district has several health facilities ranging from Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IVs, and urged them to utilise the free services available at government health facilities.
The Vice Chairperson of Rubanda District, Ms. Kesafari Prossy, who represented the District Chairperson, appreciated the community members who attended the medical camp. She said the exercise was important in assessing the impact of health services and understanding the challenges faced by people, particularly those living in rural communities.
Ms. Kesafari said she had listened to several concerns raised by community members and promised that the district leadership would work towards addressing them.
She highlighted challenges including bribery and absenteeism among some health workers, and called upon the district health department to organise community barazas at parish level to enable residents to freely raise and resolve concerns affecting health service delivery.
She further encouraged residents to report any challenges they experience at health facilities to their local leaders so that appropriate action can be taken.
Ms. Kesafari also revealed that Muko Health Centre IV has been elevated to a district general hospital, adding that more services would soon become available at the facility. She said other health facilities would also be considered for elevation to Health Centre IV status to extend healthcare services closer to the people.
She cautioned community members against self-medication and encouraged them to always seek professional medical advice from qualified health workers.
The Principal Assistant Secretary, Mr. Mucunguzi Elly, said the main purpose of engaging with communities was to listen to their concerns and find appropriate solutions.
He noted that Rubanda District has made significant progress in healthcare service delivery since its creation in 2016 from the former Kabale District.
Mr. Mucunguzi said government health facilities have trained personnel and therefore called upon residents to utilise the available services.
He also urged health workers to maintain good conduct while carrying out their duties. He emphasised the importance of wearing proper uniforms and name tags and treating patients with care and respect in order to improve service delivery.
During the engagement, community members raised several concerns, including drug stock-outs at health facilities, misconduct among some health workers and absenteeism.
Responding to some of the concerns, the Executive Consultant at Rubanda General Hospital, Mr. Abdon Birungi, said the hospital has a fully equipped dental unit and encouraged community members to utilise the available dental services.
He also explained that every health facility has Village Health Teams (VHTs) who link health facilities with community members and help mobilise residents to access healthcare services.
The medical camp is expected to provide an opportunity for residents to access essential healthcare services while also enabling district leaders and health workers to better understand and respond to health-related challenges affecting communities in Rubanda District.