As the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) gears up for the 44th- commemoration of the Tarehe Sita on February 6th in the greater Masaka region, Stanbic Bank Uganda has donated an assortment of medical equipment to the entity to boost maternal health services.
The donation included 10 delivery beds, 100 Mama Kits and 2,000 fruit tree seedlings. The bank will also deliver sports kits for the Marathon on February 5th.
While handing over the donation, Diana Ondoga, the Manager of Corporate Social Investment at Stanbic Bank, noted that the donation is a result of the promise made in 2023 while delivering two incubators after a conversation on finding a need equally meaningful.
“We are very keen on safe motherhood as an entity. We are also very keen on growing Uganda. We are more than banking. We are here to grow, transform and change Uganda. A healthy country easily facilitates socio-economic transformation. I’m delighted that as the two entities, there is shared value in what we are doing and this partnership can help us reach as many Ugandans and save lives but also help in promoting the quality of a Ugandan. If a Ugandan is healthy, they can do so many things. We also want to thank the Ministry of Health for the guidance and collaboration,” Ondoga said.
While receiving the donation at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Mbuya over the weekend, the Director of Civil-Military Cooperation in the UPDF, Brig Gen Michael Kibuye commended Stanbic Bank for its consistent support towards the Tarehe Sita celebrations.
“UPDF holds an annual celebration to give back to the communities of a selected region based on some factors. This time, the factors zeroed on greater Masaka. During that time, we have doctors who engage in medical camps,” Brig Gen Kibuye said.
In addition, he noted that several construction works have happened to selected schools and health centres in those nine districts and one city. Why selected? It’s because this is a budget from the UPDF, and they are unable to handle all those that are in need because of the available fixed budget.
“However, the selected districts, together with their organising committees, participate in the selection. We don’t just rush there and select them on our own. We do it with the district officials who zero in on particular schools and hospitals that are badly in need of services. We do full construction, not just refurbishment,” Brig Gen Kibuye added.
He explained that activities also include cleaning and sports activities such as Football and Netball.
Greater Masaka is comprised of one City and nine districts, including Masaka, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Kalungu, Kyotera, Rakai, Kalangala, Bukomansimbi and Sembabule.
Brig Gen Dr James Kiyengo, the Surgeon General and Director of Health Services for Land Forces said, “Masaka is a region that is unique. We have Bukasa Health Centre IV, located in an Island community whose theatre has not worked since 1993 and that is my particular focus. The Health Centre II’s and III’s are going to get delivery beds. Therefore, we are going to have a very big impact of mother and child health services in those areas.”
“When you support us, you are not only helping us to work but we leave behind a trail which would be difficult to routinely take down in all regions of the country. But now, we concentrate on one region and upgrade it. When you lower the density of transmissible disease in a population, there is no one to transmit to another, therefore, lowering the disease burden and hence transmission is curtailed. We are grateful to Stanbic for joining us to offer these services which will have a very big impact on the population.”
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