Donald Trump stopped US aid money, which hit healthcare really hard in the Mukono district. Doctors and nurses lost their jobs, and public health places can barely function anymore. The Makerere University Walter Reed Project had to fire most workers after its funding disappeared. This health program came from the US Department of Defense but currently struggles to stay alive.
Elizabeth Namanda runs the administration in Mukono and says Walter Reed once hired 236 health workers. Only 32 had permanent jobs there. After money dried up, they kept just 36 people working. Everyone else lost their paychecks during the program review period. The problems spread beyond Mukono to nearby areas like Kayunga, Buikwe, and Buvuma, where Walter Reed has helped sick people since 2005. They focused on HIV care through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
The project tested people for HIV, gave medicines, helped fight infections, started people on antiviral treatments, supported tuberculosis patients, and checked women for cervical cancer. These services mattered a lot, but many stopped when workers left. Mukono General Hospital already had staff problems before aid money stopped. The hospital, health centers, and remote spots like Koome Island face serious trouble right this minute. Politicians argued for three years about forming a District Service Commission, which blocked the hiring of new medical staff.
Dr. Geoffrey Kasirye runs Mukono General Hospital and fears a complete breakdown soon. They work with 147 healthcare people instead of the full team they need, which equals just half the required workers. They desperately need specialist doctors who deliver babies and perform surgeries. Betty Hope Nakasi speaks for the district and begs officials to speed up hiring for jobs advertised last year. She thinks laid-off Walter Reed workers could temporarily fill empty spots rather than sit home unemployed.
Meanwhile, Namanda checks exactly how bad things got before asking the Health Ministry for more wage money to hire new staff. This Mukono crisis shows what happens when foreign countries cut aid to developing nations. HIV treatments, tuberculosis care, and services for pregnant women all face danger. Local leaders race to find different solutions before essential health services totally disappear.
Elizabeth Namanda runs the administration in Mukono and says Walter Reed once hired 236 health workers. Only 32 had permanent jobs there. After money dried up, they kept just 36 people working. Everyone else lost their paychecks during the program review period. The problems spread beyond Mukono to nearby areas like Kayunga, Buikwe, and Buvuma, where Walter Reed has helped sick people since 2005. They focused on HIV care through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
The project tested people for HIV, gave medicines, helped fight infections, started people on antiviral treatments, supported tuberculosis patients, and checked women for cervical cancer. These services mattered a lot, but many stopped when workers left. Mukono General Hospital already had staff problems before aid money stopped. The hospital, health centers, and remote spots like Koome Island face serious trouble right this minute. Politicians argued for three years about forming a District Service Commission, which blocked the hiring of new medical staff.
Dr. Geoffrey Kasirye runs Mukono General Hospital and fears a complete breakdown soon. They work with 147 healthcare people instead of the full team they need, which equals just half the required workers. They desperately need specialist doctors who deliver babies and perform surgeries. Betty Hope Nakasi speaks for the district and begs officials to speed up hiring for jobs advertised last year. She thinks laid-off Walter Reed workers could temporarily fill empty spots rather than sit home unemployed.
Meanwhile, Namanda checks exactly how bad things got before asking the Health Ministry for more wage money to hire new staff. This Mukono crisis shows what happens when foreign countries cut aid to developing nations. HIV treatments, tuberculosis care, and services for pregnant women all face danger. Local leaders race to find different solutions before essential health services totally disappear.
