The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Buikwe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nkokonjeru town council residents in Buikwe district want the authorities to elevate Nkokonjeru health center II, the only government facility in their area to a health center III.
Residents say that Nkokonjeru health center II is too small and under facilitated to cater for the more than 10,000 people in the town council and the neighbouring communities.
According to the health ministry guidelines, a town council is supposed to have a health center III. A health center II acts as the first level of interaction in the health sector and communities, providing outpatient curative services, community outreach services and linkages with the village health team-VHT.
Such facilities are expected to handle not more than 2,000 patients a month. However, Nkokonjeru town council has been dependent on Nkokonjeru health center II since it attained town council status in 1995. The health center currently handles more than 3,000 patients.
Joseph Kavuma, the Navumbe LC I chairperson says the current status of the health center impedes service delivery to residents yet they can’t afford services in alternative medical facilities.
Winnie Nawusa, a resident of Nkokonjeru town council says several residents have been held captive in private clinics and hospitals over failure to pay for health services.
She reveals that many mothers are subjected to penalties such as working for months in private health facilities to compensate for health services. Sylvia Nabasumba, another resident says they rarely find healthy workers at the facility.
Apart from seeking services from Ebenezer medical center and St. Francis hospital Nkokonjeru, a church founded private health facility in the area, residents travel a distance of over 30 km to access services at the district hospital in Lugazi municipality.
Buikwe District Health Officer-DHO, Dr. Richard Bbosa says they are aware of the situation in Nkokonjeru town council, saying they have severally reminded Ministry of Health to upgrade the facility to offer extra services.
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