Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - December 26, 2006
Irene Nabusoba
Speaking after a Christmas carol service at the Mildmay premises in Lweza on Entebbe Road last Wednesday, the director clinical services, Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika said: "We have 2000 slots on-site and another 1000 off-site. All new patients who have never had ARVs will have access to the treatment free of charge."
However, Luyirika regretted that 62% of their clients are children below 18 years, most of whom have been infected through mother-to-child transmission.
"We have inadequate voluntary counselling and testing services. Many people do not even know their HIV status. We recently went to Mukono where over 1000 people wanted to test, yet we could only test 500. We should extend these services to areas where most Ugandans live," Luyirika added.
The Mildmay Centre Uganda is an HIV/AIDS special referral care and training institution established in 1998.
The centre cares for more than 3,000 patients on-site and of these, 2,500 are on free ARVs. An additional 1,400 patients are getting treatment from affiliated centres in Nagalama and Mpigi, where 400 are on ARVs.
"More than 1,000 people have done short courses at the centre this year. Our target is to provide HIV/AIDS training throughout the country. We provide training to health workers, religious leaders and other categories of professionals," Luyirika said.
He added that the centre receives an average of 200 new patients everyday and because of the demand, they have expanded to Wakiso, Mpigi and most recently, Mukono.
"Numbers are soaring. People are now aware of our services. The only reason the centre is not flooded with patients is because we refer many of them to other centres nearby," he explained.
Those already receiving care elsewhere are encouraged to continue with their healthcare providers.
The centre provides basic care in a holistic approach; tests the whole family and cares for them free of charge. He said the criteria for enrolling for ARVs depends on the level of the body's defence system and whether it has been compromised.
"Our services are available to anybody within a 60km radius. We also know that there are patients, like orphans, who can access the treatment but lack the support care and other needs. We consider how much support there is within the family and look to other organisations for support," he said.
Bishop Eriya Paul Ruzinda Kizito of Mukono Diocese, who presided over the service, commended Mildmay for taking care of people's physical needs like Christ did.
"Christmas time is a period for us to renew our faith and commitment to God. Not cooking special meals, exploiting the poor, drinking to the maximum. Emulate Christ by attending to people's physical needs. There is no better example than Mildmay," he said.
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