Uganda: Emergency transport

The red overhead light flashing, we are traveling at high speed over a potholed and muddy track towards the village of Padibe in northern Uganda. The IRC’s ambulance driver, James Odong, has just received a call from the local health clinic requesting the urgent transportation of two victims of a traffic accident to the larger hospital in Kitgum.

“Health posts all across the province call us for assistance,” Odong says, frantically avoiding the largest cracks and bumps in the road. “We receive up to four calls a day. Most of our patients are women about to give birth, children with malaria or victims of road accidents. The ambulance was also very important during a recent outbreak of Hepatitis E here in Kitgum.”

When we reach the hospital we are greeted by the local doctor at the Padibe clinic, Charles Oyoo. He quickly leads us to the patients. Regina Arach fractured her pelvis and crushed her leg when the taxi she was riding in plunged off the road at high speed. Regina’s friend, Molly Apogo, has a concussion and several deep cuts to her face.

“They have been given first aid, but now they have to be moved to Kitgum for treatment,” Oyoo says.

Regina moans loudly as James and the clinic staff move her to the ambulance on a military stretcher. The ambulance – the latest addition to a wide range of health services the IRC is providing in northern Uganda – is a very helpful service to the rural clinics, explains Oyoo as James starts the engine.

“The road to Kitgum is very bad and transporting patients in a taxi is time-consuming and causes a lot of pain to those with serious injuries. This makes life much better here.”