Clare doctors receive gift from government

A local TD presented €5,000 to two Clare doctors on behalf of the Irish Government on a recent visit to Uganda.

Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Pat Breen paid an official visit to the Jinga Hospice in the Busoga Region where he presented a cheque of €5,000 to Frank and Patricia Hassett for “the outstanding work being undertaken there”.

“I was very pleased to fulfill a long-standing invitation from Drs Frank and Patricia Hassett to visit this hospice which was founded in 2005. They saw the need for a palliative care service for patients with advanced cancer and HIV/AIDS in Jinja which is capital of the Bosoga region with a population of 4.5 million people,” Deputy Breen stated.

When Deputy Breen arrived in Jinga, accompanied by the Irish Ambassador to Uganda, Donal Cronin, he was greeted by Frank and Patricia together with members of their local board, civic officials, representatives of the Department of Health and many of the patients who are supported through the clinic who had travelled into the hospice for the day and we were treated to a wonderful display of local traditional music and dancing.

The Clare TD said he had been lobbying support for this project since he was first appointed Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee.
“This financial aid will help in the challenges of vehicle replacement, monthly fuel and vehicle maintenance and the education and mobilisation of community volunteers who are essential to the efficient running of this service,” he said.

“One of the other highlights of my visit was my visit the Kangole Girls School, a 650 girls school which is run by the Sacred Heart Sisters in Karmajoa and to listen to the students as they sang the Irish National Anthem,” Deputy Breen added.