As a follow-up to our first interview with Doctor Justin Okello (our area program manager in southwestern Uganda) we wanted to share his insights about how he and his teams are coping with the increasing needs and decreasing resources they’re experiencing right now. Dr. Okello oversees two refugee settlements and two transit centers that provide medical care and community healthcare education programs for displaced people. 

1. The Quality of Our Work Remains High… Even As Patients Grow Frustrated 

As the needs grow and programs are shuttered due to funding cuts, many of our patients in Uganda are having to wait as long as six hours to receive care due to staff shortages, supply stock-outs, and reduced clinic hours in some areas. Our teams are well-known for providing high-quality, efficient, and personalized care; so, understandably, longer wait times have led to people being frustrated and dissatisfied with the services being provided in their communities.

What’s amazing, however, is that despite these intense challenges, the data shows our clinics are still producing excellent health outcomes. That means that our teams are continuing to deliver exceptional, lifesaving care despite the dwindling resources.  

“As for health outcomes, especially on mortality, we are still producing excellent outcomes even with reduced resources. But with this trend of funding cuts continuing, it’s inevitable that the health outcomes will be impacted.” – Dr. Okello

 2. Our Staff are the Very Best—Hands-Down

Dr. Okello credits our ability to continue producing good health outcomes to the skill, expertise, and dedication of our staff working in Uganda. 

“We have touched so many people. We have alleviated suffering and prevented deaths, especially for those in crisis. We know exactly how to do it, which is why everybody in Uganda is proud of Medical Teams.” – Dr. Okello

These heroic staff members are truly living out our organizational values: 

• Courageous: Despite lingering fears of layoffs and spending their days among the sick, injured, and traumatized, our staff show up every single day and give 100% to caring for those in need.  

• Accountable: Many staff are taking on additional responsibilities and tasks outside of their roles to ensure that no one who needs care falls through the cracks. 

• Tenacious: Times have never been tougher. And still, our staff continues to love like Jesus each and every day, healing through hardship, heartache, and uncertainty.   

• Selfless: During times of crisis, many turn inward for their survival. Not our staff. Our teams are dedicated to saving lives and serving others—but they can’t do it alone.  

• Not Alone: Our teams don’t leave the clinic until every single patient has received care. We need you to take a page from their book—show up for them and remind them that they, too, have someone standing beside them, always.  

3. Prevention is Still the Best Medicine 

Like the expert physicians they are, our teams know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Which is why, despite reduced grant funding, our teams are still working hard to proactively treat refugees coming into Uganda before they get seriously ill.  

“As of recently, about 60% of the refugees coming in from the Democratic Republic of Congo have malaria. Many don’t have any symptoms yet. This is why screening every single person is extremely important, because if someone does have it, we have to treat them right away before they arrive at the camps already very sick.”

Thanks to a thorough screening process and a diligent response from care workers in the border transit centers, Dr. Okello estimates that almost all incoming refugees are getting screened and treated before entering the country and traveling to the camps. This not only saves the lives of the people who are sick, but also reduces the number of people who will need care at crowded local clinics.  

 4. We Have Hope 

True to our mission, we believe that God is with us in everything we do. Dr. Okello describes how confidence in our work, one another, and God, helps him and his teams get through the hardest days in the field.  

“We pride ourselves on the fact that we are the best health partner in Uganda. No doubt about that. In terms of merit, anyone would select Medical Teams International. Medical Teams International has survived previous waves of difficulties, but everybody hopes and believes that somehow, Medical Teams will survive. We believe God is with us.” – Dr. Okello

Our teams have displayed extraordinary strength in the face of these current unprecedented challenges. But they need more support.  

Your gift not only provides the physical resources and supplies that we need to continue saving lives… it also provides hope that the people we serve will not be left to suffer without access to medical care.  

Dr. Okello said it best: “Our teams are working extremely hard to maintain excellent performance—but there is no doubt that our breaking point will be reached.”

You can keep us from ever reaching that breaking point.  

This month, every dollar you give will be matched, doubling its power to make sure that when someone arrives at one of our clinics, the doors are open, the lights are on, and there is a caring provider there to help them. 

Help give our teams of doctors, and the people they care for, hope.