The Rotary Club of Kampala Springs has embarked on a project worth sh165million at Luzira Health Center IV. 

The club is going to expand and equip the maternity wing at the facility which is located inside Luzira prison in the Nakawa division.

Once completed, the facility will start handling emergency obstetrics.

Rotarians and the clergy during one Of the project handover at Luzira.

Dr. Nicholas Khisa, the medical superintendent reports that every month, they receive over 150 pregnant women ready for delivery. 

However, 20% experience complications that cannot be handled by the facility.

They are referred to Naguru China friendship and Kawempe referral hospitals.

“For years, we have had issues with handling emergency obstetrics,” Khisa says adding, “This means that when a mother gets complications that require theatre services, we just refer.” 

The facility has an ambulance on site that rushes the patients to Naguru but most times, they find this hospital full and continue to Kawempe.

Khisa adds that the process is risky for the mothers but referring is all they can do. 

Kampala Springs Rotarians in one of the outreaches.

“The government has tried to help by constructing a bigger extension but works were halted at the roofing stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he explains.

Khisa says that the facility serves both prisons; male and female plus the barracks and neighbouring villages including; Kitintale, Luzira, Mutungo, Biina, and Butabika.

“All these villages don’t have public hospitals and residents are mostly the urban poor. They flock to us with different ailments. Even Kiswa health center refers to us,” he says.

Khisa applauds the Rotary club of Kampala Springs for the help. 

“This project will save many mothers because some die during referral,” he says.

The club is also going to provide infant warmers, incubators for the child care unit and maternity beds. 

Khisa says, the facility has only two delivery beds and eight in the ward.

Kenneth Kiiza, Rotary Kampala Springs opportunity president (2020-2021) says that giving back to the communities is part of the Rotarians’ brand. 

“We are a young club that has gladly taken good strides in the right direction. I believe that together we will continue to serve humanity,” he says.

Kiiza is quick to add that they mainly focus on Maternal and Child Health and Education and Literacy. 

“I am glad we are supporting a community in dire need of maternal and child health services,” he asserts.

Community health outreaches

Samuel Liadrichi, community linkage facilitator attached to Luzira health center 1V says that for the past six months, they have worked with Kampala Springs to carry out maternal and child health outreaches. 

The most recent was in October in the Gulf slum located in Kitintale village.

They educated pregnant and post-natal mothers on breastfeeding. The midwives also provided anti-natal care, immunization, family planning and HIV testing. 

“Over 180 people including youth, men and women attended. They were educated, counselled and offered contraceptives and condoms,” he says.

“We have also organized another outreach on December 11. We shall do polio, cervical cancer and tetanus vaccinations,” he says. 

Rotary will donate clothes and other supplies to vulnerable mothers and children. 

Dr. Khisa adds that they will also have peer educators to counsel and educate teenagers and youths on several challenges they face.

Liadrichi says that the facility used to run monthly outreaches but residents shunned them because they lacked tents, chairs and refreshments.

“Rotary came in handy to provide all those things and the public address system. Attendance has since increased,” he says.