Namutumba Health Centre III gets beds to avert sharing
A patient takes a bed rest on one of the beds supplied by the Ministry of Health to Namutumba Health Centre III at the weekend. PHOTO/RONALD SEEBE
What you need to know:
- All health centre IIIs in the district lack enough beds, which is hampering efforts to admit patients.
Namutumba Health Centre III in Namutumba Town Council has received 20 beds and mattresses from the Ministry of Health to avert sharing among patients.
Mr Godfrey Mwembe, the Namutumba Town Council chairperson, said some patients have been sleeping on the floor .
“In the past, you would find a patient suffering from tuberculosis sharing a bed with a malaria patient. The 20 beds are, however, not enough given the increasing number of patients,” Mr Mwembe said at the weekend.
He, however, warned that if more beds are not availed to the facility, patients will still share the available ones.
While receiving the equipment, Dr Richard Ndaye, the health centre in-charge, said: “We have been running the facility with only four functional beds. The male and female wards each had two beds.”
Dr Ndaye added that the equipment was delivered following a request by area Members of Parliament to the government through the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine.
The District Health Officer, Dr James Kirya, said all health centre IIIs lack enough beds, which is hampering their efforts to admit patients.
“The beds we have received have come at a time when the number of patients in our health units keeps increasing every day,” Dr Kirya said, adding that all health centre IIIs, including Nsinze Health Centre IV, received beds and beddings.
Mr Kassim Kalenzi, the Namutumba Town Council councillor, said there is need to have Namutumba Health Centre III elevated to a Health Centre IV.
Ms Rebecca Nakiranda, a resident of Kangulumo Zone in Namutumba Town Council, said the development will change the healthcare system in the district.
“We are happy that services at the government health units are getting better every day, although the continued low staffing levels are affecting service delivery. The ratio of health workers to patients is low which has caused congestion in health centres, forcing some patients to return home unattended to,” she said.
