Bukomansimbi stuck with community health centre after funds delay

Bukomansimbi , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Bukango Sub County in Bukomansimbi district are stuck with a public health facility that has remained idle for years.

In 2017, the then Member of Parliament for Bukomansimbi North Constituency Ruth Katushabe mobilized for the construction of two structures in Bukongo parish, for purposes of converting the buildings into public health facilities that would serve the area.

The facility was constructed shortly after Bukongo was granted a sub-county status from Bigasa, however, according to residents, the buildings have remained idle for years without serving the intended purpose.

George William Ssebuuma, the Bukango sub-county Chairperson says that the facility has not been operationalized due to a lack of funds. He says they expected the government to grant them a health Centre III after the area was declared an independent sub-county, but their request has not been honoured, leaving the area that has over 5,500 people in 29 villages with no government health facility.

According to Ssebuuma, the nearest government health facility is located 10 miles away which makes it difficult for patients that require the services. Ssebuuma says they are now considering making appeals to the Members of Parliament from the area and local leaders to mobilize resources that can enable them to operationalize the health centre.

Phelista Nalweyiso, a Women’s leader at Lusaaka village council in Bukongo Sub County, has expressed disappointment in the district’s failure to operationalize a health centre in an area where there are permanent structures.

She says that the residents in the entire sub-county are currently struggling to access heal services which can only be obtained from far distant locations in the neighbouring sub-counties.

Dr Alfred Kato, the Bukomansimbi District Health Officer acknowledges the challenge of accessibility to health services in the area. He says that they are still waiting on the approval of the Ministry of Health to begin operating the Health Centre.

He says that the construction of the structures was undertaken before consultations with the Ministry of Health were done.

However, Kato indicates that they have notified the Ministry of Health about the need to operationalize the health centre in the new sub-county, calling upon residents to be a little patient as the process is undertaken.

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