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Buliisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Floods resulting from the rising water levels of Lake Albert have submerged Butiaba health center III in Butiaba sub county Buliisa district leaving health workers and patients accessing treatment at the facility stranded.
The floods have submerged staff quarters, maternity, male and female wards, store and the Outpatient Department-OPD among other facilities situated within the vicinity of the health center.
Also submerged are all roads leading the health facility making it hard for patients to access it or those inside to leave. Water has also destroyed some drugs that were kept in the health facility’s store.
The health center receives 200 patients a day on average including those from the DR Congo who cross over to receive appropriate medical attention.
Dr Nelson Naisye, the District Health Officer says the situation is currently appalling calling for immediate government intervention. He says although the health ministry has been notified, they are yet to intervene.
He says currently, all the 17 staff at the health facility have sought refuge at Butiaba primary school where they are operating from while sharing the school with teachers and pupils who have reported back to school.
Naisye says they have turned some of the classrooms of Butiaba primary school into staff quarters, maternity, male and female wards from where patients are being attended to saying they cannot completely abandon treating patients.
Rogers Bendebule, a resident of Butiaba landing site says the whole health facility needs to be relocated following floods that have submerged it, wondering why government has not yet acted to deal with the emergency.
Francis Babyenda, a patient who was found at Butiaba primary school where the health facility has been shifted says the situation is not good since there is no privacy because they are sharing toilets and bathrooms and other facilities with the young children who have reported back to school.
Simon Agaba Kinene, the Buliisa LC5 chairperson says they have severally appealed to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Health ministry to intervene but they have turned a deaf ear yet people especially children and expectant mothers are suffering.
Since March, floods have caused havoc in several parts of Buliisa district submerging houses and destroying property.
Close to 38,000 people have been affected but no assistance has been accorded to them by the government according to the district chairman.
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