Kyegegwa Health Centre IV Health Workers on the Spot for Absenteeism

Health workers at Kyegegwa Health Centre IV are on the spot for absenteeism.

Patients found at health centre say that whenever they go to the facility to seek medical services, there are few or no health workers.

When URN reporter visited the facility there was health workers to attend to the patients.

The caretakers of the patients also allocate the wards to themselves because there is no one to guide them.    

Faustino Ndayamba, a parent found at the health centre, said that her daughter Gloria Ahimbisibwe had presented with high temperatures while still at home.    

Ndayamba says that he rushed her daughter to the health facility for treatment, but to his surprise, there was no health worker.

//Cue in: “Nyizire twahikaho twaikarra…   Cue out… ngende nyikarre mbalinde.”//    

Rhoda Kyalisima, another parent says that her child fell sick on Monday but when she went to the health centre, she didn’t find any health worker.    

She added that on Tuesday when she returned to the facility, she was told that there were no drugs but was advised to buy them from a clinic and take the child back to the health centre on Wednesday for injections.  

However, when she went back on Wednesday with the prescribed drugs, there was no one to attend to her.    

//Cue in: “Hati tusokerega kunu…  

Cue out… niwe nandikuronda,”//    

Vallance Tugume, says that her daughter who was suffering an illness that he doesn’t understand also remained unattended too because he could not trace for even a single health worker.   

//Cue in: “Nyowe nibwo nkuhika...

Cue out… yakingaho yagenda.”//    

Apart from absent health workers, the oxygen machine broke down and the theatre has since been closed over unclear reasons. Patients in need of services are always told to travel to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital which is over 100 kilometers away. 

Efforts to get a comment from the in- charge, Yesta Martin, and the District Health Officer, Dr Julius Balinda, yielded no results as repeated messages and calls to their phones went unanswered.   

John Kisoke, the Kyegegwa LCV Chairperson, who also doubles as the health committee secretary, says that he is unaware that health workers at the facility abandon patients.