The Ugandan government officially transferred control of the recently built Butiaba Health Center III to the local government of Buliisa district today.
In 2022, the government initiated the construction of Butiaba Health Center III after the previous facility was submerged by floods caused by rising water levels in Lake Albert in 2020.
Consequently, health services in Butiaba town council were relocated to the former Butiaba sub-county headquarters, which had limited space for patients and staff.
The floods submerged various facilities at the health center including staff quarters, maternity ward, male and female wards, the store, and the Outpatient Department (OPD), among others.
Additionally, the roads leading to the health facility were submerged, making it challenging for patients to access it. The government then requested area residents and leaders to locate 5 acres of land for the construction of the new health facility, which they provided.
A sum of 1.2 billion shillings was allocated by the government for the construction, and the construction works were assigned to the UPDF engineering brigade.
During the inauguration of the new health facility, Robinah Nabbanja, the Prime Minister of Uganda, urged health workers to provide efficient and timely health services to the local residents.
Nabbanja encouraged residents to prioritize disease prevention services over curative measures and emphasized the importance of women utilizing the health facility for antenatal services. She instructed the health ministry to promptly equip the facility with an adequate supply of drugs and staff.
Residents were urged to utilize the facility for regular check-ups to monitor their health status.
Fred Lukumu, the Chairperson of Buliisa LCV, expressed relief at the completion of the health facility, which addresses the challenges faced by residents in accessing appropriate health services.
Norah Bigirwa, the Buliisa woman member of Parliament, highlighted the difficulties faced by patients, particularly expectant mothers, in accessing antenatal services following the floods.
She called on the government to establish and equip more health facilities in the district to accommodate the influx of people drawn to the area for employment in the oil sector.
Simon Kule, the facility’s manager, cited staff shortages as a significant challenge, noting that out of the recommended 19 staff, they only have 14, which hampers health service delivery in the area.
Residents such as Juliet Alinda and Stephen Mbidi commended the government’s swift response to address health challenges in the area and emphasized the positive impact the new facility will have on health service delivery.
Majid Ajaruva highlighted the long distances residents previously had to travel to access health services and called for the provision of an adequate supply of drugs to the new facility.
The newly constructed health facility includes maternity, children, male and female wards, staff quarters, the Out-patient department (OPD), and a waiting room, among other amenities.