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Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Biddabugya Health Center III in Nakaseke District has resumed admitting patients fifteen years after it had scaled down operations.
The facility was constructed in 1988 to offer health services to residents of Kasangombe sub-county and other neighboring sub-counties.
However, in 2005, the facility scaled down on services that include admitting expectant mothers and conducting minor surgeries due to lack of space and dilapidated buildings.
The health facility could only handle one expectant mother within 24 hours and admit two other patients over lack of space to attend to others.
On Monday, the in-charge of Biddabugya Health Center III Fred Wagaba Sebutiko announced that facility had restored the number of admissions. He says that they can now be able to handle up to 30 patients including four deliveries per day.
Sebutiko says that the Rose Namayanja Foundation with support from residents constructed a new state of the art building comprising of a pediatric, maternity ward, labour suite, theatre, laboratory among others.
He adds that the facility is fully equipped to enable the health workers perform effectively.
Sebutiko says that the facility will be able to handle up to 120 deliveries per month.
The newly constructed building has excited mothers who said this will help to improve access to maternal health services.
Proscovia Nassaka a resident of Bukuku village says that lack of maternal health services at the facility contributed to the death of her child years ago due to lack of space.
Nassaka adds that many other mothers had resolved to trek long distances to Nakaseke hospital for deliveries over lack of services at the health center.
Ruth Seruwu another mother says that mothers had also shunned other services at the facility over lack of space and poor health services.
Ephranse Nakyadda the Speaker of Kasangombe sub-county says the fully equipped health center is a sigh of relief to mothers and other general patients.
Nakyadda adds this will also reduce cases of women delivering at Traditional Birth Attendants.
Rose Namayanja the Director and Charles Nsereko Bassajjassubi the Co-Director of Rose Namayanja Foundation said that the construction as well as equipping of the new health facility cost them over 500 million shillings.
Namayanja explained that the construction was made possible with support from residents and corporate organizations. She also unveiled an ambulance which will help to transport mothers and other patients to referral hospitals.
Evelyn Musiime Khellen the Nakaseke District Health Officer challenged other health workers to lobby for support from other corporate organizations and communities to rather than waiting for the government to address all challenges.
Nakaseke district boosts of 19 health centers and one hospital. Many of these health facilities are struggling with limited space and dilapidated structures.
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