Speaker Among Launches Rotary Cancer Run 2024, Donates Shs1bn for Bunkers Completion

Speaker Among Launches Rotary Cancer Run 2024, Donates Shs1bn for Bunkers Completion

BY NANCY ATIM

The Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among has officially launched the 2024 Rotary Cancer Run and donated Shs1 billion for the completion of the radiotherapy center at St. Francis Nsambya Hospital.

Upon arrival at Nsambya hospital, Speaker Among was welcomed by the hospital management and the organizers of the Rotary cancer run before touring the cancer ward and bunker site.

While giving her speech, Among commended the Rotary cancer run initiative in serving humanity and on behalf of Parliament, who are premium sponsors of the run, committed to supporting the project to its timely completion.

“As a people-centered Parliament, we will generously support the completion of the bunkers and we should be able to finish it as soon as possible because once completed, it will bring a smile to Nsambya Hospital, cancer patients, all the runners and Rotarians,” Among said, before undertaking to join Rotary for the sake of the bunkers.

This year’s 2024 Rotary Cancer Run edition scheduled to take place on 25 August 2024 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds will run under the theme: “Spread Magic in Every Step”.

It will equally mark the 13th year of the Rotary Cancer Run in Uganda.

She urged all Ugandans of goodwill to join hands and support the project to create a significant impact on the lives of cancer patients.

 “This project will help in complementing the treatment of cancer and decongesting other hospitals… On behalf of Parliament, we shall contribute Shs1 billion towards this year’s cancer run. This money that we get for donations must be spent on humanity,” she said.

Among commended the former Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga for spearheading Parliament’s campaign towards supporting cancer runs during the 10th Parliament.

Parliament’s Shs1 billion contributions alone nearly equals the Shs1.1 billion collected during the 2023 cancer run.

This year, Rotary Uganda hopes to collect Shs4 billion and double the number of participants from 30,000 in 2023 to 60,000 in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Rotary club Gulu Cluster has kicked off preparations for the forthcoming cancer run scheduled for the 27th of August 2023 with the sole aim of raising two billion shillings towards the construction and completion of a cancer institute at Nsambya Hospital, Kampala city.

For Acholi sub region, the Rotary Cancer Run will be hosted by the famous Kaunda grounds in Gulu city.

David Labeja Otto, the president of Rotary club Gulu city cluster urges members of the public to overwhelmingly support this noble.

 He says the proceeds from the Cancer run will help aid the completion of the radiotherapy at St. Francis Nsambya Hospital now that the country is grappling with a high cancer burden.

“As Rotarians, we are light minded people, we are here to serve irrespective of skin colors, ages and religions” he said.

Just like her fellow Rotarian, Jolly Laker Grace, the president for Rotary club Gulu district cluster encouraged health partners to support this cause.

During the Cancer run, Laker called on the public to embrace services such as free screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and some other tests that will be free of charge.

“We are going to offer a variety of health services during the cancer run, for example, free screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer screening, among others,” she said.

With Centenary Bank being one of the biggest sponsors, Calvin Oneka, an employee of Centenary Bank Gulu branch is concerned by the statistics that have revealed that at least 33,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in Uganda. Out of those, only 7,400 always get medical care from the Uganda Cancer Institute.

“As Centenary Bank we are supporting this initiative because the cancer burden is enormous and we need to really support cancer patients for them to at least live longer”, he said.

The Catholic Mission Referral Hospital owned by the Archdiocese of Kampala and managed by the Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.

The 361 bed capacity hospital according to the hospital website was founded in 1903. The facility is involved in patient care, research and teaching, specialist services in surgery, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Others are specialized services in urology, eye care, Orthopedics, Endocrinology, endoscopy, laparoscopy, mammography, HIV AIDS, accidents and other emergencies.

St. Francis Hospital Nsambya has both General and private patients’ facilities.