Hurdled on the bed under light brown bed sheets which have seen many washes is 15 years old Nalunkuma Angella. She is being attended to by her mother who also appears tired due to the many months spent on hospital floors in search for a cure for whatever is ailing her daughter. Angella problems started 5 months ago when she developed fevers, vomiting and she was taken to Masaka regional hospital, but there was no improvement despite of the many treatment regimes. After 2 months, they were referred to mulago national referral for specialist management.

The mother and daughter made the 81 miles journey from Masaka to Kampala and they were admitted on ward 2B in Mulago hospital. Initial investigations done like the abdominal ultra sound scan had shown that she had an abdominal mass which was fast growing suggestive of a pancreatic tumor and the radiologist had recommended that an abdominal computerized tomography scan should be done to correlate his findings. This was a mountain for the mother in her quest for a cure to whatever was ailing her daughter.

In Uganda the cost of an Abdominal CAT scan is 120 US dollars and that’s in private hospitals. The culture of healthcare in Uganda is that in public hospitals healthcare is dubbed to be free, but in actual sense investigations, medicines are provided at a fee. Nalunkuma’s mother did not have any choice, but to request for a discharge. Luckily enough, one of the residents who was doing a surgical rotation on the ward, called the Caring Hands Team if they would assist the family.

The CHIMAMM medical team did a medical and social assessment of the family and she was admitted to the program. The patient was prepared, taken to nearby private hospital and the CAT scan was done. This enabled the surgeons to plan and do
surgery 5 days later. The specimen collected was taken for histopathology by CHIMMAM to Lancet Laboratories and she was diagnosed with endemic Burkitts lymphoma.

Finally, a diagnosis to what had been ailing the young girl had been found hence treatment was initiated. She was referred to Uganda cancer institute for treatment and the CHIMAMM team is still following up on the family. All this wouldn’t have been possible minus the generous donations from you our partners.

May God bless you.

Nakandi Rebecca
Nurse