Geriatric Services for Uganda – at last!
Geriatric units provide critical services to the aged however Uganda’s medical system simply does not provide these services. Rotary has funded geriatric training for Ugandan GP Dr Michael Ssonko to enable him to deliver geriatric services and training in the country.
Older citizens are amongst the most susceptible people in our communities to serious health issues. Special attention is needed to ensure they receive appropriate preventative care, disease management, and critical care. However, specialist geriatric services are not available in Uganda.
The Rotary Club of Taree on Manning in NSW Australia became aware of this situation and agreed to help do something about it. They were introduced to geriatrics Professor Vasi Nagathan of Concord Hospital in Sydney who had a longstanding connection with Dr Michael Ssonko, a general practitioner in Uganda. Dr Ssonko had a vision to open an ageing centre at Makerere University at or near Mulago Hospital, the largest public hospital in Uganda. However, to do this, he first needed to himself undertake specialist geriatric training.
The Rotary Club of Taree on Manning enlisted the support of the Rotary Club of Newlands in Cape Town South Africa where specialist training in geriatrics is available. With the support of Rotary, including a grant from The Rotary Foundation, Dr Ssonko was able to undertake this training. Upon completing his research in January 2022, he expects to receive his degree as a Master of Philosophy in Geriatric Medicine – and will return to Uganda.
Dr Ssonko now hopes to persuade the University to set up a division of Geriatric Medicine – to pursue integration of geriatric medicine into the undergraduate curriculum and hopefully create a core geriatric team of three members to provide treatment to the elderly.
Dr Michael Ssonko
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