Africa-Press – Uganda. Authorities of the Adjumani District Local Government have ordered the demolition of Pachara Health Centre II to pave way for its expansion.
The leaders are optimistic that the facelift will improve service delivery.
The 38-year-old facility was last year earmarked to run as a Covid-19 isolation and treatment centre.
On Monday, excavators could be seen razing three old structures, including its Out Patient Department (OPD).
Mr Godfrey Manga, the assistant district health officer in-charge of Environmental Health, said the Health ministry through the Primary Health Care funding has availed the district with Shs190 million to carry out the works.
Mr Manga said the rehabilitation would save patients from accidents since the structures were dilapidated.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health earmarked two health centre II facilities of Pachara and Arinyapi for upgrade three years ago, but the delay in completion of Arinyapi Health Centre II affected the upgrade of Pachara.
“The contractor at Arinyapi did not finish his work on time which affected us, but with support from UNHCR, the health facility has been fenced and the latrine has been constructed while Unicef [United Nations Children’s Fund] built water and sanitation facilities and built a maternity ward with PRDP fund,” Mr Manga said.
According to data, Pachara Sub-county has a total population of 22,000 with close to 17,000 refugees.
Mr Kennedy Kanzo, the sub-county chairperson, said the population depends on the only private facility, Robidire Health Centre III.
“We have been pushing for this upgrade and expansion because the facility had been rendered unusable with several condemned buildings but the upgrade means a big boost to us because it will handle more patients at a free cost,” Mr Kanzo said.
The facility is neighboured by Alere, Uduru, Araa Health Centre IIs, which are in different sub-counties.
Mr Kizito John Madra, the officer-in-charge of Pachara Health Centre II, said many patients were struggling to meet high costs from private health facilities following the suspension of operations at the facility over weak structures.
“Our OPD volume has been varying from 25 to 80 patients, but during the rainy seasons, we see up to 90 patients in a day, but currently the staffing levels are also low because I have one midwife, one laboratory person, one nurse and one has gone to school. If it is upgraded then we shall need more staff,” Mr Madra said.
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