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Buliisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government of Uganda has today officially handed over the newly constructed Butiaba health center III to Buliisa district local government.
The government in 2022, embarked on the construction of Butiaba health center III after the old one was submerged by floods that resulted from the rising water levels of lake Albert in 2020.
As a result, health services at the health facility that is situated in Butiaba town council were then relocated to the former Butiaba sub-county headquarters which also had limited space for both patients and the staff.
The floods submerged staff quarters, maternity, male and female wards, store, and the Outpatient Department – OPD among other facilities at the health centre.
Also submerged were roads leading to the health facility making it difficult for patients to access it. The government then asked area residents and leaders to find 5 acres of land where to construct the new health facility which they provided.
The government released 1.2 billion shillings for the construction of the new health facility and handed over the construction works to the UPDF engineering brigade.
While commissioning the new health facility on Friday evening, Robinah Nabbanja, the prime minister of Uganda tasked health workers at the facility to effectively and promptly avail appropriate health service delivery to the area residents.
Nabbanja challenged residents in the area to embrace disease prevention services as opposed to curative, tasking women to fully utilize the health facility to boost antenatal services. She further instructed the health ministry to immediately equip the health facility with enough drugs and staff.
She has appealed to residents to properly utilize the facility to conduct daily body check-ups to know their health status.
Fred Lukumu, the Buliisa LCV Chairperson says the construction of the health facility is a sigh of relief to area residents who have been facing many challenges in accessing appropriate health service delivery.
Norah Bigirwa, the Buliisa woman member of Parliament says, following floods that submerged the former premises of the health facility, many patients especially expectant mothers went through untold suffering to access antenatal services.
She has tasked the government to establish and equip more health facilities in the district with enough drugs and personnel following the influx of people from various parts of the country to the area to work in the oil sector.
Simon Kule, the in charge of the facility says the health facility is battling staff shortage adding that out of the 19 recommended staff, they only have 14. He says lack of adequate staff is frustrating health service delivery in the area.
Juliet Alinda, a resident of Butiaba town council has applauded the government for responding quickly to tackle the health challenges in the area, saying the new facility will help boost effective health service delivery.
Stephen Mbidi, a resident of Butiaba town council says government should avail the facility with enough drugs.
Majid Ajaruva, also a resident explains that many people from Butiaba town council would trek long distances of between 15 to 50 km to Biiso health center IV and Buliisa general hospital respectively to access health services.
The newly constructed health facility is comprised of the maternity, children, female and male wards, staff quarters,the Out-patient department- OPD and a waiting room among others.
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