Africa-Press – Uganda. The construction work for the upgrade of Aganga Health Centre II in Ibuje Sub-county in Apac District, to a health centre III, has stalled after the contractor abandoned the site over poor roads.
Baygon Enterprises Limited was contracted to implement the project worth Shs800 million within eight months. The project is financed by the Government of Uganda under Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (UgIFT) programme.
The project site was handed over to the contractor in February 2023, and the work was supposed to run up to October that same year. However, 14 months down the road, the project is yet to get done.
The project scope of work included construction of a maternity ward, medical laboratory, outpatient department, and staff quarters.
Mr Bosco Okello Odongo, the managing director of BAygon Enterprises Limited, said they abandoned the site due to a number of challenges including bad roads which made it difficult for their trucks to deliver the construction materials.
“The project has faced several challenges ranging from the poor soil of the place – it is watery; the roads have also flooded and we cannot transport materials to the site,” he told this newspaper yesterday.
The contractor said they were preparing to return to the site and complete the remaining work.
“We were expecting this health facility to be upgraded to health centre III in the new financial year but our fear is if they don’t hurry with the work, we may be caught up by time,” Mr Joseph Okello, the officer in-charge of Aganga Health Centre II, said.
Mr Jimmy Ogwang, the secretary for health and education at Ibuje Sub-county, urged local leaders to follow up the contractor to ensure the construction is completed before the end of this financial year, which will end in June.
“This is the only health facility in the area, and our mothers are now suffering going long distances to access health services amid poor roads,” he said.
Mr Francis Leone Oceng, Apac District health officer, who also doubles as the project manager, said they had engaged the contractor to return to the site and continue with the work.
“In our engagement last week, we agreed that by June the work should be done but the only challenge is the flash floods from River Nile, which has made the roads there impassable,” he said.
Ms Agnes Gaci, a resident of Runguza Village, called upon the government to expedite the project at the health facility.
Aganga Health Centre II in Aganga Parish is projected to serve more than 20,000 people when upgraded to a health centre III.
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