Training schools hailed for boosting health services in Kabale

Health experts in Kabale District have revealed that the establishment of several health training institutions in the area has improved service delivery in health facilities.

The district health educator, Mr Alfred Besigensi, said students from the different health training institutions and their instructors have become a great asset in terms of health education, and treating the patients at different health units.

Some of the health training institutions in Kabale District include Kabale School of Comprehensive Nursing, Rugarama School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kabale Institute of Health Sciences, and Kabale University School of Medicine.

“According to the old staffing structure, the staffing levels in the health department in Kabale District stands at 75 percent, serving 13 health centre IIIs, 28 health centre IIs and four health centre IVs,” Mr Besigensi said.

“The establishment of several health training institutions has facilitated the improvement of health systems and services in the area of human resources and we are so grateful to the proprietors,” he added.

The Director of Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, Dr Filbert Nyeko, also acknowledged that the existence of the supervisors and instructors of students doing medical and health-related courses has supplemented health care service delivery at his facility.

“We shall continue to welcome the services of instructors and professors from Kabale University School of Medicine that come to supervise their students as they do practical lessons at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital as they, in turn, participate in treating patients,” Dr Nyeko said.

Filling staff gaps
He added that the presence of the instructors and professors from the neighbouring health training institutions at his facility help in filling the staffing gap, which stands at 24 percent under the new staffing structure.

The Kabale University Vice Chancellor, Prof Joy Kwesiga, said they started faculties of Medicine, Engineering and Environmental Science with an objective of addressing immediate community needs.

“We are grateful that the community is appreciating the impact and existence of our school of medicine although we are still struggling to get enough space on which science laboratories and lecture rooms can be constructed so that we can attract more professors and students,” she said.

“That will in turn boost the health systems not only at Kabale referral hospital but also the whole of Kigezi region and the country in general,” Prof Kwesiga said.

She added that the Department of Environmental Science at the university is partnering with experts from the United Kingdom to train and skill local farmers around Lake Bunyonyi on better methods of farming.