One of the other objectives of PCAU is to strengthen the capacity of palliative care providers in Uganda through supporting training, continuous professional education, mentorship, and supervision.
PCAU team conducted a support supervision visit to Buhweju district to enhance pain relief in the district. Buhweju District is in the Ankole sub-region, part of the Western Rift Valley escarpment, and is characterized by a rugged, mountainous terrain with steep hills and deep valleys. The district’s remote location and challenging topography limit service provision, and according to the district plan III 2020/21 – 2024/25, there is a high staff turnover, especially for health workers.
The team on their journey to Nsiika HC IV in Buhweju District, which is, 317.7km from PCAU offices.
To address these issues, the district plan includes building the capacity of staff through mentoring, training, and retooling, and providing the Uganda National Minimum Health Care to enhance service delivery. However, resource constraints leave aspects, such as palliative care, underserved.
The pharmacy technician and the facility in charge during the pharmacy assessment and documentation review.
The PCAU team engaged Buhweju district leadership in discussions advocating for the establishment of a palliative care unit, the appointment of a focal person, and a commitment to provide ongoing support.
The team visited Nsiika Health Centre IV and interacted with health workers. They discussed starting a palliative care unit and agreed on ways to make sure that this was done. The team offered an orientation on ordering, storage, and prescription of oral liquid Morphine processes to ensure a consistent supply and accessibility for patients in need. They also oriented the staff at the health center on pain assessment, management, and the use of palliative care data tools to enhance data collection for informed decision-making.
PCAU team with the Assistant District Health officer, Sr. Atukunda Noowe Prudence, and the Nsiika Health Center IV in-charge, Dr. Edyedu Isaac, during the visit.
Although PCAU has engaged all the districts in Uganda to enhance access to pain relief for patients with cancer and other serious health-related suffering, there are over 30 districts without a single health facility offering palliative care in Uganda. These remain the target for PCAU.
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