Kamukira Health centre IV in Kabale Municipality is grappling with congestion issues as the health centre struggles to accommodate in patients from the surrounding areas with only three beds.
The health facility that is located in the Southern Kirigime ward started in 2007 as a way of decongesting Kabale regional referral hospital which serves over 2000 patients per month.
The construction of a theater at the Health Centre however stalled after government cut off capital development fund in the last financial year.
The facility that should house over 100 inpatients the ward has only three beds where a patent can be admitted and they are in maternity ward.
As a result of the lack of enough beds, many expectant mothers and others patients are now forced to sleep on the floor in the ward.
Dr. Naomi Kyomugisha the In-charge Kamukira Health Centre IV says that most mothers do not go back to the facility since they cannot be admitted.
She notes that other patients are treated and sent back home or they are referred to Kabale regional referral hospital for further management, since the facility has no beds.
Dr. Kyomugisha also says that although the facility has qualified personnel to operate the theatre, they lack equipment and defective structures adding that this have been an inconvenience to patients who are referred to Kabale regional referral hospital for minor surgeries”. Said Dr Kyomugisha.
Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha the Mayor Kabale Municipality admits that
Kamukira HCIV is struggling to operate saying that it’s operating as health centre II level.
Byamugisha puts all the blame to the central government that abolished Primary
Health Care-PHC funds since this financial year without clear reasons.
He however says that as a council, they have started engaging
central government to have Kamukira elevated to hospital level so that it can decongest Kabale regional referral hospital.
In September a total of 128 expectant mothers received antenatal care but only 18 mothers delivered from the facility and in October, a total 116 expectant mothers received antenatal care but only 13 delivered from the same facility.