Govt hospital turns away expectant mothers after 6-year water shortage

A government health facility in North Eastern Uganda has been forced to turn away expectant mothers after a 6-year battle with water shortages.

"We used to deliver mothers here and we could collect sand for cleaning the blood from the ward but it became too much and our health is threatened. So we have decided to only conduct antenatal program," said Goretti Nakut, a nurse at the facility that serves a population of about 40,000 people including Kenyan Turkana pastoralists.

The health centre III in Kakingol Parish, Katikekile Sub-county in Moroto District has now started directing or referring patients to the Moroto Regional Referral Hospital.

 “Majority of the expectant mothers who cannot afford to walk 50kilometers to the regional referral hospital risk to deliver from traditional birth attendants,” Mary Apule, Kakingol Village Health Officer observed.

Kakingol environmental health inspector Mr Samuel Koryang told this publication that the water shortage emerged over 6 years ago when the gravitational water scheme constructed by UNICEF stopped working.

“The health centre has been relying on rainy seasons for water but now all water tanks have dried up- leaving no water,” he said.

Government three years ago spent over Shs200m on a project aimed at tapping water from a seasonal swamp to the health centre but some many local leaders say the system was destroyed by downpour due to poor workmanship.

The initiative was implemented by the ministry of water under the Karamoja Water Umbrella Organization.

But down the years, no ministry of water or government official has bothered to check progress on the stalled project. Rolls of water pipes are visible in the premises of the health centre.

When contacted, Mr.Johnson Opige who is the manager of Karamoja small towns and urban growth water systems in the ministry of water said: “They are still waiting for resources to rework on the system.”

He further informed that physical studies had already been done but a global Covid-19 outbreak disrupted proceedings.

Former Katikekile Sub-county LC3 chairperson, Michael Akol voiced concern that the sanitation and hygiene crisis at Kakingole health centre III has led to a staff exodus.

“It might close. Health workers posted here can’t be in that environment where without water and several other deliveries like drugs," he said.

Moroto District health director, Dr Hans Lokales similarly opined.