Government plans to upgrade 200 health centre IIs
Kashenyi Health Centre 11 in Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality, one of those to benefit in the government upgrade. PHOTO BY FELIX AINEBYOONA
KAMPALA-Government is set to upgrade 206 health centre (HC) 11s to health centre 111s countrywide to improve service delivery at local government level.
Medical authorities say government aims to, among others, reduce maternal mortality and bring a comprehensive package of maternal and laboratory services closer to the people.
Dr Charles Olaro, the director of clinical services at the Ministry of Health, said on different occasions, mothers have been delivering from home because of the long distances to access health centre 111s, putting the lives of mothers at a risk.
“We need to increase the number of mothers who deliver from hospitals. HC11s basically offer outpatient services but with HC111s, they will be able to access maternal and laboratories services,” Dr Olaro said.
“Already, some of the facilities are under construction so as to expand some HC11s to 111s. For every HC 11, it is going to cost us Shs500,000, 000,” Dr Olaro added.
He was speaking during bilateral medical round table deliberations between Israel and Ugandan doctors last Friday in Kampala.
Dr Olaro revealed that human resource will be available once the centres are upgraded since there are many medical students who graduate every year.
He said the government is also training a number of healthworkers.
However, some healthworkers in the rural areas have called upon government to fully equip upcountry hospitals with enough medical supplies such as enough drugs.
“You will find patients complaining that we do not want to give them drugs but trust me, the drugs are always inadequate,” one of the health workers, who did not want to be named for fear of reprimand, said.
At the same meeting, Dr Pintov Shay from Israel, said they are working together with the government of Uganda to improve healthcare services in the rural areas.
“We are going to do everything that will improve the lives of people in rural areas, for example malnutrition. Uganda is rich in nutrition but with malnutrition because of the way the food is calculated and given, which affects the children.
we are here to educate, as well as deal with prevention,” Dr Shay said.
Currently, training of some Ugandan doctors in Israel is ongoing.
