Patients requiring emergency services during nighttime hours face significant challenges due to the absence of electricity, leaving many residents frustrated and in dire need of a solution.
The lack of electricity at Buseruka Health Center III in Hoima District is severely impacting health service delivery.
For nearly six months, the facility, which serves the sub-counties of Kabaale and Buseruka, has been operating without power after its transmission line was struck by lightning.
Patients requiring emergency services during nighttime hours face significant challenges due to the absence of electricity, leaving many residents frustrated and in dire need of a solution.
Rostiko Akugizibwe, the in charge of the facility told
Uganda Radio Network (URN) in an interview that due to the lack of electricity,
they face challenges during the night hours while attending to the
patients.
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He says, they have since July last year been asking the
district leadership to fix the problem of electricity but nothing has been
done.
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Sowedi Baguma, a resident of Buseruka trading center wonders
why the government has taken long without addressing the challenge of
electricity at the facility yet it is very crucial in health service delivery.
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Joy Kabaliisa, a patient who was found admitted at the facility
said that there is a lot of darkness at the health center during the night
hours and asked the district leadership to immediately intervene and reconnect power.
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Uthaman Kadir Mugisha, the Hoima district LCV Chairperson explained
that as district leaders, they are aware of the challenge and that they had already
contacted UMEME to reconnect the facility.
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The facility that receives between 900-1000 people seeking
for the services is also battling acute drug shortage which is attributed to
the overwhelming number of patients who flock the facility to access services.
He says, the health center lacks essential medicines such
as anti-malaria drugs, antibiotics, vaccines and medical supplies such as
syringes, gloves, catheters and gauze among others.
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Wilberforce Onyuthi, a resident of Kasenyi-Lyato says, government
should upgrade the facility to the level
of health center IV in order to offer appropriate health service delivery to
the locals.
