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Rukungiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |
There is excitement in Kebisoni Sub- County and its surrounding areas in Rukungiri district following the elevation of Karuhemba Health Centre II to a Health Centre III.
The 563 Million Shillings facility will now serve more than 50,000 residents from Kebisioni sub- County, Kebisoni town council, Buyanja sub- County, Buyanja town council and some parts of It Ntungamo district.
It consists of a maternity ward and out-patient department, laboratory, paediatric ward, store, waiting room, patient’s kitchen and consultation rooms.
Gordon Katafiire, the in-charge says the elevation of the health centre will improve health service delivery to the community.
He says the upgrade of the health centre will also help reduce maternal deaths in the area since more health workers will be posted to the facility to boost health service delivery.
“We are grateful that the facility has been upgraded to a health centre III and the infrastructure has also been improved. We are hopeful that the medical workers will find it easier to handle patients and they will receive the right services,” Katafiire noted.
Katafiire, however, appealed to the government to ensure the facility is stocked with drugs, arguing that in the past they have been experiencing drug shortages.
Dr Akasima Mucunguzi, the Rukungiri district health officer asked the locals to embrace the project for their benefit saying that such projects are put in place to help the community members therefore should be handled with care.
Akasima added that more health workers will be transferred to the facility by the district health department to help with the overwhelming numbers of patients visiting the health center.
“As the district health department, we are going to add more health workers to deal with the increasing number of patients received at the health facility to enable proper health service deliveries in the area”. He said.
Leonard Mugisha, a resident says that he been trekking a distance of 20 kilometres to and from his home to access health services in Rukungiri town. He also says the upgrade of the facility is a positive step toward bringing improved health services closer to the community.
“I used to travel to Rukungiri town to access modern health services which were so costly. I am happy that the only facility in our area has been upgraded and refurbished with modern equipment,” Mugisha said.
Catherine Muguma another resident says that residents should protect the facility since it was put in place for their benefit. She is also excited that she will now be able to immunize her 8 months old baby at the facility, unlike in the past when she could trek more than 5 kilometres to access services.
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