More than 400 people have turned up for a sickle cell health camp at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital.

The one-day camp which seeks to give free hydroxyurea medication, psychosocial support and testing targeted people from the districts of Fort Portal, Kabarole, Kamwengye, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Bunyangabu, Kasese, Ntoroko and Bundibugyo. 

A sickle cell health camp was held at fort portal regional referral hospital which saw over 400 people turn up and test, receive sensitization and get drugs.

The camp was organized by the Joint Clinical Research Center as part of its campaign to celebrate 30 years of its existence.

Dr Daniel Mayanja, the director of Clinical services say they are preparing to set up a sickle cell clinic at the JCRC centre in Fort Portal.

A Sickle cell survey was done in 2014 by the Ministry of Health with support from Makerere College of Health Sciences and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Northern Uganda has the highest prevalence of Sickle cell trait in the country standing at 18.6%.

The study further revealed that East-Central regions come second with a sickle cell prevalence of 16.7%.

At Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital alone, the facility receives more than 200 patients every month and according to Dr Gilbert Ategeka, who works with the facility in the department of paediatrics, the numbers are overwhelming to the facility.

Dr Gilbert reveals that with the overwhelming numbers, the facility lacks the drugs that are used in the medication of the disease. According to him, patients who come to the facility for the service are usually told to buy from outside the facility.

Locals were also asked to always go for testing before getting married to each other to avoid cases of being carriers of the disease.