Health centre running with one medical staff
Seeking treatment. A mother and her children leave Kabizzi Health Centre II in Kabizzi Parish, Nyenga Division, Njeru Municipal Council in Buikwe District after receiving treatment. PHOTO BY DENISEDEMA
What you need to know:
- About VHTs: VHTs are community volunteers who are identified by their community members and are given basic training on major health programmes so that they can in turn mobilise and sensitise communities to actively participate in provision of health services.
Kabizzi Health Centre II in Nyenga Division, Njeru Municipal Council in Buikwe District has been running its laboratory services without enough health personnel.
The officer-in-charge of the facility, Ms Catherine Namulondo, said there are supposed to be eight workers at the facility but unfortunately “they have fled for greener pastures” and “the municipal health department keeps promising to recruit health workers”.
Ms Namulondo said there is too much work and one person available cannot attend to many patients.
“I am helped here by a Village Health Team (VHT) official, who assists me with carrying out laboratory tests for malaria and HIV/Aids,” she added.
Ms Namulondo also decried lack of a midwife to attend to expectant mothers, with the nearest health centre III with a midwife being eight kilometres away.
The VHT official, Mr Godfrey Masaba, said he decided to volunteer as a laboratory technician following the growing numbers of patients at the health centre.
“This is not my job but the nurse is overwhelmed with the work since she is alone. I currently test for malaria, syphilis and HIV/Aids at the facility,” he said.
A VHT trainer from Clinton Health Access Initiative, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the organisation, said VHTs can only refer people to test at health facilities or during outreaches but are not trained to carry out laboratory tests.
The Buikwe District Health Officer, Dr Richard Bossa, said VHTs are supposed to help health workers with the ‘arrangement’ of the health centre, but not to treat patients.
“They support the health workers by linking them to the community. I need to find out from that particular health centre,” Dr Bossa said.
Ms Betty Nangobi, 36, who had come to the health centre for treatment, said sometimes patients return home unattended to because of the big number of patients.
The vice chairperson for Nyenga Division, who is also the secretary for health, Mr Charles Muubo, described the situation as challenging, saying the council has written to concerned authorities asking for workers in the facility.
The head of health department at Njeru Municipal Council, Mr Andrew Kaitaita, said they lack the capacity to recruit health workers this financial year because this is its maiden year as a municipality.
It is two years since Njeru Municipal Council was elevated to Municipality, and it currently has three health centre III’s and no health centre IV. Kawolo Hospital in Lugazi Municipality acts as the government referral hospital in the district.
