Background
The village of Lyolwa, in one of the most remote areas of South East Uganda, contained the principal healthcare facility for 20,000 people living in remote village communities in and around the district. The clinic served 1,450 patients a month through a small outpatient department and maternity unit. Patients typically presented with TB, HIV and malaria, and the clinic was also responsible for treating trauma injuries. It was in an extremely bad state of disrepair with fears that vermin infestations would cause infectious diseases. Comic Relief, a major UK donor funding organisation, announced its intention to deliver a brand new, life-changing project on a scale never contemplated before by the organisation.
They proposed to completely redesign, rebuild and equip the dilapidated level 3 hospital clinic in Lyolwa in just five weeks. In October 2014, Iqarus was brought into the project by Comic Relief, to provide strategic advice, medical equipment, medical consultancy, training support and a complete rebuild of a level 3 medical clinic in Uganda.