dfcu Bank and Rotary Uganda held a free medical outreach in Kamwokya on Friday, October 16, to address financial barriers that prevent many residents from accessing timely healthcare. The camp, held at Kamwokya Seventh-day Adventist Church, attracted hundreds of people seeking medical consultations, laboratory tests, eye and dental care, family planning services, gynaecological care, mental health support and circumcision services. Dr Alex Lwesabula, a medical doctor at Mengo Hospital who participated in the outreach, said more than 500 patients had received medical attention by midday, with organisers targeting between 1,000 and 1,500 beneficiaries by the end of the day.
Residents were screened for malaria, hepatitis B, sickle cell disease, urinary tract infections and hypertension. Patients who required treatment received medication, while those with vision difficulties were provided with reading glasses. Dr Lwesabula said medical teams identified cases of hypertension and diabetes among patients who were previously unaware of their conditions, and attributed other common illnesses such as malaria, coughs and flu partly to sanitation challenges and waterlogged areas in Kamwokya. He emphasised the importance of regular screening and preventive healthcare, noting that the camp provided free consultations, screening and medication without the usual costs associated with accessing these services.
Jimmy Mugerwa, chairman of dfcu Limited, said the partnership reflected the bank's commitment to creating social value beyond its core financial services. He noted that community health is closely linked to economic productivity because illness can disrupt employment, reduce household incomes and increase expenditure on treatment. Mugerwa, who also chairs Mengo Hospital and serves as an assistant governor in Rotary District 9214, said dfcu's purpose is to transform lives not just through financial solutions but for people who support the institution.
Raymond Andrew Kalema, vice-chairman of the Projects Committee at Rotary Club of Kitante, said Rotary had organised medical camps in the community for about five years, with previous editions attracting an average of 500 to 600 people. He noted that diagnosing illnesses was not enough if patients could not afford prescribed medicines or access follow-up care, so organisers prioritise stocking medicines to enable beneficiaries to begin treatment after receiving medical attention. Kalema called on more companies to support community health programmes, saying partnerships with private-sector institutions could increase resources available to deliver services to underserved populations.
The outreach also reinforced dfcu's commitment to raising awareness about sickle cell disease through proceeds from its annual dfcu Sickle Cell Walk, known as Hope in Motion. Mugerwa said the bank would continue supporting sickle cell services by promoting testing, improving public understanding of the condition and reducing stigma experienced by affected individuals and their families. The camp also featured a blood donation drive organised in partnership with Mengo Hospital, with organisers targeting 65 units and collecting approximately 20 units by midday.
Beneficiaries of the camp highlighted the immediate financial value of free medical services. Tabu Bannard, a resident of Namugona, said he had spent more than a year seeking treatment for a persistent skin condition, paying approximately Shs120,000 at clinics without improvement, before receiving a medical assessment and medication at the camp. Mugerwa said the partners intended to continue working together through similar initiatives, noting that the number of people reached in a single day remained small compared with the wider healthcare needs.