Open every Thursday our Medical Clinic treats over 600 patients per month.
Only a small fraction of Ugandans living in rural areas have access to consistently available, quality medical care. In fact, the ratio of doctors to patients in the most rural regions of Africa is estimated to be as high at 1 doctor for every 166,000 patients. One City Ministries recognized this urgent need several years ago in and around the Light Village and began hosting weekly medical clinics. We now see on average of 90-150 patients each week and offer medical services ranging from malaria testing to out-patient surgery.
Patients walk from miles away, even as far as Kenya, in the early morning and begin lining up outside Light Village around 5 am to see the medical team. Our nurses take vitals, provide ARV’s, test for malaria, HIV and other illnesses, and ask preliminary questions prior to the patient being seen by the doctor. Most of these people have never been seen by a medical professional and in many instances, truly do not know what it feels like to be healthy. Some are so sick that it is amazing they can make the walk to Light Village while others have been living with easily curable diseases and ailments all their lives.
Our clinics aim to meet the immediate need of the patient; to provide diagnostic and treatment options, and provide hope where most of the time none exists. The need for consistently available, quality medical treatment is so critical in Uganda that One City has embarked on a journey to construct the Sean Gilbert Memorial Medical Center which is slated to open in late 2020! The new medical center will provide Ugandans in and around the greater Mbale area with access to diagnostic, laboratory and a full range of in and out-patient medical services never before offered in the region. More information about the new Medical Center can be found here.