By Enatu Steven
The State Minister for Works and Transport, and Member of Parliament for Amuria County, Minister Musa Francis Ecweru, today presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrading of Wera Health Center III into a Health Center IV. The event is a seen as a step towards improving healthcare services in the district, aimed at reducing the pressure on Amuria General Hospital and enhancing access to quality healthcare for the local population.
The facility, which currently serves a catchment area of 13,000 people, sees an average of 2,000 patients monthly, with malaria being the leading cause of outpatient department (OPD) visits. However, Wera Health Center III has been struggling with understaffing, with only 8 technical staff members.This shortage put a strain on the facility’s ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of the community.
Aaron Opolot, the Clinical Officer at Wera Health Center III, highlighted the challenges the facility faces, but expressed optimism about the upgrade, which will include the construction of a modern theater, an expanded OPD, and the rehabilitation of the existing general ward. The facility also relies on bi-monthly medical supplies from the National Medical Stores (NMS), though these often run out within a month.
The Acting District Health Officer (DHO) of Amuria, Godfrey Opolot, pointed out that the district is home to 10 Health Center IIIs and 7 Health Center IIs, but several sub-counties still lack Health Center IIIs altogether much as government policy is that each sub county must have a health center III and a county to have a health center iv. He emphasized that the elevation of Wera Health Center III to a Health Center IV would help alleviate pressure on Amuria General Hospital, which is often overwhelmed by patient numbers. However, he also noted that Amuria’s health sector is grappling with a staffing level of just 25%, well below the national average.
In response to this, Angela Akurut, the Chief Administrative Officer of Amuria, expressed confidence that the ongoing construction project will address some of these challenges, both by improving the quality of care and by providing new facilities that will attract more staff. She also reassured the community that the project would be closely monitored, with monthly site meetings to ensure the timely and quality completion of the work.
The construction project is being carried out in two phases, funded by the Government of Uganda through the Uganda Government Infrastructure Financing Trust (UGIFT).
Moses Odong Opolot, the Senior Assistant Engineer for Amuria District said the first phase, worth 1.5 billion shillings, involves the construction of a maternity ward, rehabilitation of the existing general ward, the addition of a four-stall VIP latrine with showers, and the installation of a medical waste pit. This phase is being handled by Cab Uganda Limited and is expected to take six months to complete. The second phase, which includes the construction of a new theater, an expanded OPD, incinerators, and further facilities, will be executed by Trandid Construction Company at a cost of 1.3 billion shillings.
Opolot, explained that the ground-breaking ceremony signifies a milestone in the district’s healthcare development. He assured the public that the project would be completed in phases, with each phase enhancing the capacity of the facility to serve more people and improve the quality of care.
Minister Ecweru, while addressing the gathering at the site urged the contractors to ensure that the project is completed on schedule and that the quality of work matches the government investment.
He praised the initiative as an important development for the district and expressed his commitment to seeing it through.