The project is supported by the Italian government through the Karamoja Infrastructure Development Project II (KIDP II). Works are expected to be completed in eighteen months.
The Ministry of Health has unveiled a 6.9 billion shillings project to upgrade two health centres and construct new health facilities in Napak District.
The project is supported by the Italian government through
the Karamoja Infrastructure Development Project II (KIDP II). Works are
expected to be completed in eighteen months.
The project once completed will help to cover up to 52
percent of the population in Napak district who have lacked access to essential
health services due to a lack of health facilities. The most affected
sub-counties include Poron, Lorengecora, and Achukudu, which do not have any
health facilities. Residents have to walk for over 45 kilometres to access
facilities from the next sub-county.
On Monday, the district officials handed over the technical site to the construction
company for the establishment of the two health centres. They are also
upgrading Apeitolim Health II to III while Iriiri Health Center III to IV.
The new facilities under construction will cost 1.6
billion shillings each while the Iriiri Health Center III upgrade is allocated
1.6 billion shillings for the construction of the general ward, theatre, and
renovation of the Out Patients Department, and 890 million Shillings for
the upgrade of Apeitolim health centre II.
Timothy Teko, the Napak District Health Officer said that the new facilities will be constructed in
Poron and Lorengecora sub-counties respectively and those for upgrade are Iriiri
Health Center III to IV and Apeitolim Health II to III.
Teko explained that the two sub-counties did not have health
facilities and the population of over 25000 people had to access health
services from nearby sub-counties.
He said that two Health Center III facilities would have
OPD, staff houses, and a general maternity ward that would facilitate
supervised deliveries in the new facilities that lacked healthcare. Teko noted that Apeitolim Health Center III will now have
staff houses and sanitary facilities.
Teko added that the current upgrade will enhance the drug
supplies to fit the large population that has been usually running out of
supplies. He also noted that the number of maternal deaths will also decrease
since the maternity services will be brought nearer.
Teko said that the project is expected to run for eighteen
months and the constructor has been advised to try everything possible to
finish it within one year and six months and the two will be for administration
and handover.
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John Paul Kodet, the LCV Chairperson of Napak district
said that they had two sub-counties without a health facility the entire
district lacked health center IV since the inception.
Kodet noted that the upgrade and addition of more health
facilities is a blessing to the health care system in the district. He noted
that Iriiri Health Center will be serving the people from the nearby sub-counties
of Nabwal, Nakayot, Lorengecora, and the neighbouring sub-county of Olilim
in the Katakwi district.
Kodet added that the other additional health facilities will
also help to lighten the burden of the health system in the district.
Kodet recalled that women have been losing mothers who die
on their way to Matany which is the only hospital in the district. He said that
the health facilities once concluded will now support and eliminate the problem
of women dying while giving birth.
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Ana Grace Anyango, the Poron sub-county chief observed
that women go through a lot of hardship in accessing health services.
Anyango noted that many mothers have died while being transported to the hospital due to a bad road network and lack
of transport to the nearest health facility. She noted that patients have to
trek for over 45 kilometres to the nearest Health Centre II and 80 kilometres
to Health Center IV in Matany.
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John Loduk, the LCI Chairperson of
Apeitolim Trading Center lamented that their health center has been lacking
drugs at all times they seek treatment.
He said that the lack of medicine in the facility has created
an opportunity for the people to open up many clinics around the trading centre
where most patients are now referred to for treatment.
Loduk said that there is a need to investigate why the drugs
keep disappearing in the health facility. He also appealed to the government to
ensure that the upgrade of health facilities helps to address the challenge of
drug shortage.