Four Sub Counties in Maracha Lack Health Facilities

Four sub-counties in Maracha district are lacking health facilities. They include Ajira, Kijomoro, Oleba, and Oluvu sub-counties.

The absence of health facilities in the sub-counties has forced the residents to trek long distances in search of services while others have resorted to seeking services from some of the health facilities in the neighboring districts.

Robert Tabu, a resident of Ajira Sub County says that many residents can't afford transport fares to Tara Health Center III or the nearby Dranya health center for medication, adding that many have resorted to self-medication using herbs.

Alizana Tedriru, the female councilor representing Tara and Ajira sub-counties says her electorates have been relying on the services of Village Health Teams-VHTs while others seek services in Tara health center and Dranya health center in Koboko district.

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Sara Amazi, the female youth councilor notes that some of the affected sub-counties are newly created. She however says, several residents face a huge challenge in accessing health services, especially mothers in labor, forcing many of them to deliver at home.

According to Amazi, the residents in the affected sub-counties have to trek several kilometers to access health services.

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Dr. Paul Onzubo, the Maracha District Health officer, says the absence of the health centers contravenes the Health Ministry policy which recommends at least one health center II and health center III in each parish and sub-county respectively. 

The policy further recommends that a person seeking health services should not move a distance of more than 5 kilometers to access services.

But Ozubo says, they will petition the Ministry of Health to intervene in the matter. He says currently they have been relying on outreach programs to offer services in the affected areas.

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Between 2017 and 2020, Maracha district Local government benefited from the creation of at least eleven new administrative units, which are yet to be fully operationalized due to funding constraints.