Sacred Heart old girls launch sh220m sickbay project

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In a bid to reduce the number of students leaving school to seek healthcare services, Sacred Heart Secondary School Old Girls’ Association (SHOGA) has commenced the construction of a modern sickbay at the school.

The facility, being constructed by Bezon Construction Company Limited at a cost of sh220 million, is expected to take five years to complete. It will include two examination rooms, a waiting room, a nursing room, a laboratory, and a self-contained room for patients.

Speaking during the launch of the construction on April 11, 2026, SHOGA vice chairperson Claire Acan said the decision to build a new sickbay was informed by the poor state of the current one. She noted that the existing facility, located near the school kitchen, is small and dilapidated, making it unsuitable for students’ health needs.

Acan added that the new sickbay will also serve nearby communities as a way of giving back. She explained that the decision to locate the facility near the main gate is intended to improve access for community members while minimising movement within the school compound.

SHOGA chairperson Kevin Aciro said the association, which was founded in 1998, aims to mobilise resources, unify former students, and support both learners and school infrastructure.

SHOGA and students’ representatives post for a photo with Monsignor Rev. Fr. Martin Agwee, the Vicar General of Archdiocese of Gulu and Betty Aol Ocan, woman MP Gulu city during the launch of construction of sick bay.

She said the decision to construct the sickbay followed concerns that frequent movement of students outside the school in search of medical services was affecting academic performance. Some students, she noted, use the excuse of seeking treatment to engage in activities that disrupt their studies.

Aciro said the association has so far raised sh40 million through its “power of sh1,000” initiative, where each member contributes sh1,000 weekly. She added that fundraising efforts will continue, with appeals to corporate organisations for additional support.

“This new sickbay with modern facility will provide health services to students, many of them face challenges in access health services and interfere with their education, but with the service in school, they are able to thrive as have many experience other complications which need health services and once this health services are easily accessible, girls will concentrate in class and be able to perform,” she.

The deputy head teacher, David Nyeko, said the school currently has an enrolment of 1,100 students and is working to increase the number.

He added that the school is also fundraising for the construction of a storeyed dormitory block at a cost of sh2.8 billion, with each parent expected to contribute sh100,000 towards the project.

PTA chairman Alex Onen commended the old girls for supporting infrastructure development, noting that parents are already financially strained. He also appealed to them to support the dormitory project, describing it as stalled due to limited funding.

Onen urged teachers to remain committed to improving academic performance, noting that both parents and alumni are investing heavily in the school.

Betty Aol Ocan, the woman MP for Gulu city and an old girl of the school, pledged to lobby for additional funding and mobilise fellow legislators who studied at the school to support the project. She donated sh500,000 and pledged an additional sh1.5 million.

Monsignor Rev. Fr Martin Agwee, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Gulu, commended the old girls for supporting education and infrastructure development.

He noted that holistic education, especially for girls, requires collective effort and added that the Archbishop, Most Rev. Raphael P’Mony Wokorach, has plans to revitalise education within the archdiocese.