Anaka Hospital gets new water system

NWOYA - Anaka General Hospital in Anaka Town Council in Nwoya district has got a new water system after 10 years of experiencing lack of clean and safe water.

The new system comprises: two motorised boreholes, communal water points, rehabilitated internal plumbing for nine wards, plus a 10 cubic-liter High-Density Polyethene (HDPE) tank for maternity ward and theatre.

The new facility to improve access to safe and clean water is a donation from Total Energies Uganda under their corporate social responsibility (CRS), with the services of Engineers Without Borders East Africa.

While handing over water and new sanitation infrastructure to the hospital and district on Monday (March 23), Michael Muhindo, the project engineer at Total Energies EP Uganda said the project was motivated by the company’s commitment to provide safe and clean water to critical health facilities which serve broader communities and to foster the provision of quality health care services, particularly for expectant mothers and other patients.

“Safe and clean water is vital for the provision of healthcare services, as a contributor to human development. We recognise that access to safe water is essential for health and well-being and a better quality of life for community,” Muhindo said.

Muhindo said that since 2010, the firm has contributed to the improvement of water infrastructure in the project area. He said this reflects their commitment to growing together with the host communities, creating shared value and supporting the delivery of essential social services.

Dr. Jolly Joe Lapat, the medical superintendent at Anaka Hospital, appreciated Total  Energies for their generosity in providing water to the facility.

He said the hospital had been suffering for a long time as they only depend on the primary health care money of sh140 million for operation, which is disbursed every quarter, and cannot do anything.

Total Energies Uganda staff, Engineers Without Borders East Africa, District and Anaka Hospital staff during the handover of water infrastructure. (Credit: Jackson Kitara)

He said they had experienced a lack of clean water for over 10 years, especially in the maternity ward, general wards and theatre, where they had been instructing caretakers who had brought patients to the facility for either delivery or operation to first fetch at least four jerrycans of water before they work on them, as they need water.

“Lack of water in the hospital has pushed us to close all flush toilets in the hospital and resort to using outside drainable pit latrines (both medical staff and patients), which every year we used to spend 13 million for draining the latrines”, Lapat said.

Lapat also said many of their machines and equipment broke down because they needed water to be sterilised. He said the installation of the safe, clean water will make them sterilise their machines and equipment and use their flush toilets instead of going out to use drainable latrines.

“This will make us work in a clean and safe environment and provide services to patients without delay, and also will not bother caretakers to fetch water for use in delivery and theatre rooms”, he remarked.

James Okello, the district health officer, Nwoya, said for long they had been looking for a partner to support the district in installing clean water at the hospital.

He said they are still looking for support from their partners for fencing the hospital because they have received many complaints of medical staff houses being broken by thieves when they are for night duties.