Mubarak, a 42-year-old father of nine with two wives, lives in Bushenyi, Ishaka–Katungu, about 1.2 km from the hospital. One of his neighbors, a church member, reached out to our team requesting support for food, school fees, and medical care.
Together with health workers from Ishaka Adventist Hospital, we visited Mubarak and assessed his needs. It was recommended that he benefit from free treatment offered by Mobile Hospice Mbarara to provide comprehensive care. Mubarak had lived with liver disease for two years. At KIU-TH, doctors had treated him by draining fluid from his abdomen, which caused discomfort, poor sleep, shortness of breath, and vomiting. Alongside medication, doctors supported him and his second wife with food for their four children.
Originally from Kiyanga–Mitooma, 27 km away, Mubarak was advised to rent a nearby room for a year so he would not have to sell the small piece of land left with his first wife and four children. His second wife cares for five children, with the eldest, aged 23, working in Kampala selling roasted groundnuts to support the family. After the doctors left, Mubarak struggled with food and rent of 20,000 shillings ($5) monthly. Our team provided drugs, food, school fees for his daughter, and a small radio at his request. His wife sustains the family through village gardening.
