Establishment of Specialized Hospital for Sickle Cell is impossible – Health Ministry

By Ben Musanje

22^nd June 2023

The Ministry of Health admits that there is a need for the establishment of a special ward in all regional hospitals for only patients of Sickle Cell disease in the country.

This was during the commemoration of the World Sickle Cell Day today at the Ministry of Health headquarters though the day is annually marked on June 19th.

Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister for Health says that sickle cell treatment requires a multi-sectoral approach due to its care that is provided by different medical specialists according to the patient’s condition.

The Health Ministry’s Director General Health Services, Dr. Henry Mwebesa emphasized that the country is not in position of building special hospitals in all regions but can only designate Sickle Cell clinics in all regional hospitals.

The Ministry’s reaction to this was after some of the sicklers that attended the commemoration event requested for an establishment of a special sickle cell hospital that attends to them since the Mulago Sickle Cell clinic ward is full yet their number is increasing and the ward doesn’t operate at night.

According to Mulago National Referral Hospital alone

According to the Ministry, sickle cell survey indicates that the national average prevalence of trait is at 13.3% and disease at 0.73%, but with a non-uniform distribution.

The regions of Acholi, Lango, Teso, Bukedea, Budama, Busia, the non-mountainous part of Bugisu, Busoga, and parts of Central region were found to be the most burdened, with close to 20% of trait, and about 1% of disease.