NEWS- The residents of Bugangari and Bwambara in Rujumbura Rukungiri were excited by the expansion and competition of a maternity ward at Bugangari health centre 1V. A Ugx 173.5m project was commissioned by security Minister, Jim Muhwezi who is also Rujumbura county Member of parliament Friday.
Jim Muhwezi said Bugangari health centre 1V was born in his hands in late 1990s as it was supposed to be constructed at Rwamahwa as Rujumbura health centre 1V.
“I used my authority as area member of Parliament to bring this facility here since people of Bwambara and Bugangari were leading in contracting and dying of malaria,” he said.
Muhwezi praised health Minister Ruth Aceng for locating a brand new ambulance to this area which is also commissioning alongside the maternity ward.
“You should not take this for granted because before very many women were dying in villages while giving birth which has now tremendously reduced,” he said.
Canon Fred Kigango the elder in the area said in the past the coming of new born babies were like curses for other people in the area.
“When a Woman was about to deliver; strong men in the village would be informed and it would be compulsory to carry a woman on a stretcher to health facilities in Rwamahwa and Nyakibale about 40km away,” he said.
It’s true some women would keep quiet and die in hands of traditional birth attendants thinking that men to carry would think it is not strong to push a baby alone.
‘Today a newly born baby is a blessing to the village because resident’s no longer suffer transporting expectant mothers to health facilities because they are nearer to people and now there are means of transport,” he said.
Canon Fred Kigango said people take it for granted that the government must give them services which is not true saying this was done due to the continuity of the NRM government for a long period.
The Assistant district health officer, Confidence Nsengiyunva said the facility was designed for only six beds but now will have capacity of 36 executive beds. He said the facility used to have 120 deliveries monthly using a six bed facility now that capacity has increased to 36 beds deliveries will also be very many.
“Though we have a scarcity of health workers in the district which stands at 61%, there are three full time medical surgeons in this facility,” he said.
He said due to the good environment at Bugangari health center they receive patients from parts of Kanungu especially Nyamirama Sub County and others from DRC. He said in February alone 1800 patients came for the facility and 30 expectant mothers gave birth by cesarean section.
Minister Jim Muhwezi said after the government increased salaries for medical doctors to shs 5million per month, very many are now returning from outside the country to work here and even many students have opted to take science which is a very good problem.
‘When we told the president in cabinet that many doctors are not employed he said it was a good problem because we used to look for them in vain,’ he said.
Muhwezi said that the government has now proposed to upgrade facilities at health centre 111s so that there is a medical doctor at every sub county.
“Now the policy is to have doctors at health centre 1V like this one and in hospitals like the one that is being constructed at Rwamahwa in Rukungiri Municipality for the whole district. The new arrangement is to have medical doctors in every Sub County in addition to those at health centre 1V and hospitals,” he said.
Muhwezi said this will not only create jobs but will help residents get services nearer to them. District engineer, Julius Bagira commended the contractor, Frank Mugira for quality work and to complete it in time, we had agreed to complete the works in 24 weeks but was complete in only 19 weeks.
Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa said the women who die while giving birth have reduced from 300 per every 1000 women in five years to 189 in every 1000 giving birth due to improved health services in the country.
Minister Jim Muhwezi was accompanied by Rukungiri municipality legislator, Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, Woman MP Medius Natukunda Kaharata and RDC Rukungiri, Stephen Bewayo among others.
