BOU hands over sh430m renovated hospital to Lira city

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LIRA – The Bank of Uganda (BOU), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has officially handed over the renovated Ayago Health Centre III to the community of Lira City.

The renovation project, which cost shillings 430 million, was presented to the community by Health Minister Dr. Jane Aceng.

The project which aims to improve maternal and child healthcare, included the renovation of the outpatient department, administration block, and maternity ward, as well as the supply of essential medical equipment to the facility.

Susan Kanyemibwa, the BOU secretary and head of corporate social responsibility said they believe health communities are the foundation of stable and prosperous nation, adding that “a productive economy cannot be built in the absence of good health, especially maternal and child health, the reason they came up with the initiative.”

The renovated outpatient department of Ayago Health Centre III. (Photo by Joseph Ekol)

In 2016, the bank celebrated its 50 years of service in the country with the theme "Maternal and Child Health for a Healthy Society." To mark this milestone, the bank organized the BOU at 50 charity walk, mobilising well-wishers and staff. Through this initiative, they raised funds, which were used to support 13 health facilities across the country.

Dr. Bernard Otucu, the medical officer of Lira City, praised the central bank for its contribution to improving health services, particularly maternal and child health, at the Ayago Health Centre.

He noted that the current maternity ward is very small and overcrowded. He urged stakeholders, including the health ministry, the Bank of Uganda, and other partners, to support the city in building a standard HCIII block for the facility.

The Governor of the Bank of Uganda, Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, stated that research indicates preventable illnesses, such as measles, contribute to both societal and household costs. This highlights the urgent need for investments in health to unlock the region's human capital potential.

He noted that while maternal mortality rates have declined over time, they still impact household incomes, underscoring the need for investment in health facilities.

"Labour participation, and the national output and the population of people reporting injuries is rising, especially in children under five years. In education, secondary school enrolment has declined which underscore the challenges of human capital development in Uganda, the reason BOU has seen that their collective efforts are critical to build on these efforts and address the challenges so that they improve those indicators," Ego said.

According to him, BOU is committed to impact-driven giving. "The donation are focused on medical equipment and community health, health infrastructure, and these are now our top priority."

He mentioned that they invested in Ayago because they recognize Lango as a highly productive region. They noted that Ayago, which was once a modest village along the Lira-Kitgum highway, is now a rapidly growing suburb with significant investment potential and improved infrastructure, home to nearly 2,500 residents.

Atingi urged the community to take care of the facility, emphasizing the importance of preserving and maintaining it for the benefit of their children and grandchildren, who will also need similar facilities in the future.

To the city leadership, Atingi appealed for their commitment to ensure that the facility is well maintained and adequately resourced. He stressed the necessity of equipping it with the proper medical personnel so that the core values of the facility can be realized, noting that simply having the facility without qualified medical staff may undermine the objectives of its establishment.

Aceng praised BOU for its support in renovating health centres across the country, stating that the renovation of 13 health centres by the central bank has helped reduce maternal mortality rates.

"We are now at 189 per 100,000 live births and our target is to bring it down to 70 per 100,000 live births. So, we are still requesting that the theme continues for a while so that you give us more HCIIIs that are functional and operational,’’ she requested.

She pledged the ministry's adherence to BOU’s vision and the message of using electronic money transactions in the entire health sector so that more money can be saved for investment in the health infrastructure, equipment and ambulances.

Aceng urged all health workers to adopt electronic methods, encouraging the bank to provide training so that they can become more proficient with their phones for handling figures and transactions, as they face challenges in the markets.