Prime
Poor state of health facilities hinders service delivery
Nakaseke South MP Paul Lutamaguzi points at a dirty mattress inside a patients' ward at Semuto health centre iv on June 12, 2020. Photo by Dan Wandera
A team dispatched from the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, to assess the state of selected health facilities in Nakaseke District, has raised a red flag over the deteriorating health care service delivery system in the area.
At Semuto Health Centre IV, which has a daily turnout of more than 300 patients, the parliamentary team, led by Nakaseke South MP Paul Lutamaguzi, was shocked to learn that the pit-latrine at the maternity ward had been abandoned after it got filled up and expectant mothers have nowhere to answer nature’s call.
The team also observed the sorry state of mattresses on beds inside the facility.
“I am sorry that I have to take back to Parliament the situation report as it appears on the ground because we need to get a solution to these unending problems,” Mr Lutamaguzi told Daily Monitor on Monday.
At the general ward, the patients complained of dirty mattresses that harbour bedbugs.
“We are at times forced to use the floor that appears safer than the dirty mattresses. We need intervention from our government,” Ms Evelyn Nabasirye, a care giver and resident of Semuto Sub-county, said.
At Kapeeka Health Centre III, the acting officer-in-charge of the facility, Mr Gerald Kayigo, said management had managed to dig up a new pit-latrine, but construction works have stalled due to lack of funds.
“It is also true that we do not have drugs. We are still waiting for a consignment from the district,” Mr Kayigo said.
The facility is overwhelmed by the patient turnout because of its vicinity to the Kapeeka Industrial Park.
Mr John Ssesanga, the chairperson of Kololo Zone where the facility is located, said between 120 and 150 patients seek medical assistance at the facility daily.
“The health centre has one admission ward, which is used by the male, female and children, something that totally compromises privacy,” he said.
Mr Lutamaguzi said it is wrong for government to focus only on combating Covid-19 when the general health care system in the countryside is collapsing.
However, Mr Ignatius Kiwanuka Koomu, the Nakaseke District chairperson, said his office had not received reports about the filled up pit-latrines at some health centres.
“... but I will quickly take it up with the health department. It is also true that our facilities continue to suffer drug stock-outs. We need to have these problems addressed,” Mr Koomu said.
