The Uganda Cancer Institute-UCI has unveiled a new logo as part of an effort to change the public perception of the 59-year-old facility from a symbol of fear and death to one of hope and healing.
The rebranding comes at a time when UCI continues to grapple with heavy patient numbers, overcrowded outpatient clinics and congestion in its wards, where patients have at times been forced to sleep or receive care in corridors.
This perception according to UCI Executive Director Jackson Orem is not only costing lives but also leading many Ugandans into unnecessary medical tourism for procedures that can be easily and cheaply done within the country.
He shares that when the institute conducted the country’s first Bone Marrow Transplant to cure multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer in April, there was a false narrative that the patient was treated abroad and only paraded here for selfish interests.
According to Orem, such stories have characterized the institute for a long time, even as they handle some of the biggest clinical workloads in the country, treating over 67000 in their outpatient clinic and receiving close to 9000 new patients annually.
Agreeing with Orem, Dr Joyce Balagadde Kambugu, a paediatric oncologist at UCI, said many of these survivors rarely come forward to share their experiences, making the institute’s successes less visible to the public. She says their old identity has not helped them either to show their growing role as a major referral facility, now receiving patients from not just the East African region but also other parts of Africa.
Explaining that they have chosen blue color in their new branding to symbolize trust, the growing clinical expertise built over time, and the caduceus that symbolizes healing and togetherness, Balagadde says the bigger plan is for them to conduct a nationwide awareness campaign for the public to know the services they offer.
However, while Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi acknowledges that there is an information gap, he says that as a medical profession they are challenged by the fact that they cannot advertise the services that are available.
Citing this as part of the reasons as to why sections continue to choose seeking care abroad for services offered here, Baryomunsi said that, together with lack of information, the lack of trust in the system needs an awareness campaign that will inform people about what is actually happening-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
