After years without a hospital of its own, the Catholic Church has stepped in to provide Kamwenge district in western Uganda with its own modern medical institution.
Rev. Father Charles Oyo, the Kamwenge parish priest, says 400 million shillings is needed for the construction of the hospital. He says 180 million shillings has been raised by Direct to Africa, a Spanish charity, to kick start the project.
Father Oyo says a maternity ward and out patient department will be built first to deal with the demand for emergency medical facilities.
Kamwenge district has seven government dispensaries, six health centres and two sub-district health centers, but no hospital. Patients are forced to travel many miles to Fort Portal, Ibanda or Mbarara to access surgical, specialist and emergency health facilities.
The LC5 chairperson of Kamwenge, Edward Musingye, has welcomed the plans by the Catholic Church to build a hospital in his district. He says he has tirelessly lobbied government for funds to build a referral hospital in Kamwenge to no avail.
During the 2006 presidential campaigns, the people of Kamwenge submitted a memo to Yoweri Museveni pegging their support for his bid for office to a promise that he would build a hospital for them. Museveni did not make any promise in this regard although he promised widespread improvements in the decentralized healthcare system.
Mariam Kabasongora
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