Jinja Hospice Update

Our Hospice ministry is committed to rendering medical, spiritual and humanitarian services through programs that enhance, educate and promote palliative care in the Busoga and Tororo region. The Organization fosters end-of-life education, information exchange and dialogue with the main objective of breaking down communication barriers, while enhancing and accessing such information that eases the burden of the effects of pain, dying and death. Our service caters to HIV/AIDS and cancer terminal patients over the 100 square miles of the Jinja District and adjacent Tororo District. About 365,000 people benefit from our services.

The program focuses on attitude change towards terminal illnesses and their victims and mitigates the consequential effects of such illnesses through end-of-life education, control of pain, and direct delivery of the palliative care services to the individuals and the community. 

Over half the districts in Uganda now have access to morphine. Doctors and palliative care trained nurses prescribe it. It is inexpensive – the price of a loaf of bread – can keep a patient pain free for 2 weeks. Morphine is available in powder form provided free by the government. The powder is then made up to varying liquid strengths in the regional pharmacies. All the other drugs used in a palliative care setting  such as anticonvulsants, antibiotics, and diuretics must be purchased. Our patient profile consists of HIV/Aids and Cancer patients. 500+ patients, their careers and their families have been cared for in their first year of service. The majority of the cancer and HIV/Aids patients that we see have advanced disease. Palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy is unaffordable, unavailable or inappropriate. The accepted principles of a modern palliative care service are in place with a holistic approach to pain and other symptoms. There is also support for the families during the illness and in bereavement.