17 hospitals on highways to be upgraded

More facilities. Health centres have also been constructed in Ankole and Kigezi regions to reduce infant mortality rates.

The Ministry of Health is to upgrade 17 hospitals on highways to adequately handle emergency cases of road accident victims.
This was disclosed by the Health minister, Dr Christine Ondoa, while commissioning newly-built health centres in Kiruhura and Ibanda districts on Tuesday.
“We are going to equip hospitals located on highways and train health workers to manage emergency cases. Increased cases of accidents and victims need to be attended to quickly,” Ms Ondoa said.

She said their upgrading had already commenced, adding that the work is expected to be completed in the next financial year at a cost of $70m from the World Bank.

Dr Ondoa said 39 health centres, including IIIs and IVs had been constructed in Ankole and Kigezi to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates.

The minister, however, cautioned residents to practice disease preventive measures in their homes.
“Health is made at home and eight out of 10 people, who come to health centres, should not be doing so if they observed proper hygiene and sanitation. But over years, this has changed. People only wait to get sick and rush to health centres,” Dr Ondoa said.
She also warned officials in charge of the health centres over expiry of drugs.

This comes after the LC3 chairperson of Kayareyeru, Mr Freddie Mugyenyi, said centres are sometimes supplied with drugs they do not need which end up expiring.

“If this health centre is supplied with some drugs and you are not using them, why not liaise with other centres like Mbarara Regional Hospital and give them these drugs?’’ the minister asked.

She appealed to the health officials to stay in touch with National Medical Stores to ensure that they are supplied with the required drugs.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com