Hopes high for refugee expectant mothers in Kiryandongo over new maternity ward launch
The government of UEA through their ambassador to Uganda H.E Abdullah Alshamsi on Monday donated 700,000 tones of relief food, household consignments and 30,000 re-usable pads to over 30,000 refugees in Kiryandongo. The donation was commissioned by the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Mr Balaam Barugahara. Photo | Geofrey Mutumba
What you need to know:
- According to health officials, the centre has struggled to cope with the growing number of mothers and children in the settlement.
Expectant mothers in refugee settlements and host communities in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement have reason to celebrate. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched the construction of a modern maternity ward at the Panyadoli Health Centre, a government-run facility in northern Uganda's Bweyale Town Council.
According to health officials, the centre has struggled to cope with the growing number of mothers and children in the settlement.
"We receive between 300 and 500 patients daily, mostly mothers and children from the settlement," a midwife shared. "With the centre's upgrade, these numbers will be addressed, especially since the refugee population grows daily, with around 80 deliveries handled weekly."
The Panyadoli Health Centre serves a catchment population of approximately 186,000, including 124,000 refugees from South Sudan, Sudan, Kenya, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Eritrea, as well as 62,000 Ugandans. However, the facility faces staffing challenges, with only nine midwives catering to various maternity wards, despite requiring 136 health workers.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Minister for Gender, Youth, and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi emphasized the new facility's impact. "The maternity ward will reduce referrals and alleviate challenges like high transportation costs for refugee mothers," he said. "It will feature 25 beds, a delivery room, maternity recovery room, nursery, modern X-ray and scanning equipment, and a midwives' station."
The UAE government has pledged to build a modern hospital in Kiryandongo, initially with a 25-bed capacity, a modern theatre unit, and an outpatient department, with plans to expand to 75 beds. This project demonstrates the UAE's commitment to improving health and well-being in refugee communities.
Key features of the new Maternity Ward include; 25 beds, a delivery room, a maternity recovery room, a nursery for babies, modern X-ray and scanning equipment, a midwives' station, solar-powered lighting, oxygen concentrators and essential medications among others.
Ambassador Abdalla Hassan AlShamsi, UAE envoy to Uganda, appreciated Uganda's role in hosting refugees and reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to humanitarian support.
"We're supporting our brothers and sisters today and will continue helping them," he said. "Each refugee will receive a sack containing wheat flour, cooking oil, soap, and rice, and our mothers will receive sanitary pads."
This initiative is not the first effort to improve healthcare infrastructure in the settlement. Real Medicine Foundation has previously supported the expansion of the maternity ward and construction of a minor operating theatre at Panyadoli Health Centre III.
