Zombo hospital gets 10,000-litre tank
Milestone. One of the expectant mothers fetches water at the newly installed 10,000-litre tank. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO.
ZOMBO.
After going for days without water, Uganda Joint Medical Stores (UJMS) has installed a 10,000-litre tank at Agiermach Health Centre III in Zombo District that will be used for rain harvesting.
The health facility was facing acute water shortage and maternity wards were the most affected. The patients, nurses and attendants would trek long distance to neighbouring schools to access unclean water. Often times, they would be chased away from the water sources.
The senior nursing officer in charge of the maternity ward, Sr Seraphine Marachtho, on Wednesday said: “Maintaining a maternity ward was a problem because it needs a lot of water. At some point, we contemplated closing the ward.”
The health centre receives about 7,500 patients monthly and the two water tanks they had were constrained by the high number pf patients.
One of the pregnant mothers, Ms Silvia Yoningom, told Daily Monitor that: “We have been braving long queues for water but with the new tank, we will have improved services.”
The district has been affected by the long dry spell that has led to drying up of the boreholes, valleys and some rivers.
