Kalembe slams government over poorly equipped health centres

Nebbi- Independent presidential candidate Nancy Kalembe has castigated the NRM government for failing to equip health centres, which has made it difficult for disadvantaged Ugandans to access services.

Addressing residents of Nebbi Town yesterday, Ms Kalembe said she would prioritise affordable health services and equip the health facilities with modern machines and adequate drugs.

She added that many mothers are dying on their way to the hospital due to poor modes of transport such as bicycles and boda boda.
 
This, she said, is on top of several mothers who die while giving birth on hospital floors due to lack of delivery beds.
“No one should say he wants to secure the future of Ugandans yet our mothers are dying due to poor service delivery in the hospitals,” Ms Kalembe said.  
  
She added: “The people of Nebbi, especially our mothers, this is the right time to vote the female president if you want your motherly problems, which has been ignored for more than 30 years by this leader, to be addressed.”

Ms Grace Ngamita, a resident of Kaalwang Village in Kaalwang Parish, said even though there are health centres in every sub-county, roads are in a sorry state and some mothers deliver or die before reaching the facilities.

“Drugs meant for treating our people in the rural areas are getting stolen by our health workers. When there are no drugs in the facilities, the health workers also rarely come to the health facility,” she said.

Current status
 Uganda’s maternal mortality rate has consistently been one of the highest in the world with 440 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to Unicef’s latest data. In Uganda, one out of every 49 women will die of a maternal complication related to pregnancy or delivery.

However, the Residential District Commissioner, Mr Christopher Omara, said Ms Kalembe is not informed about the current state of services in the health centres. “Our Opposition colleagues don’t have their signatures in visitors’ books in any health centres or hospitals. 
Where do they get their data on few delivery beds in the health facilities?” he said.

 According to 2019/2020 data from Nebbi District health department, about 87 per cent of mothers delivered in health facilities compared to national target of 75 per cent.

Nevertheless, Mr Omara acknowledged the issue of drugs getting stolen from health facilities. But he said with close monitoring, the vice is being fought.
 
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