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The Rotary Club of Konge Lukuli has launched the construction of a sh760m ($200,000) maternity ward at Kyebe Health Centre III in Kyebe sub-county, Kyotera district.

The maternity ward that is expected to be completed in October this year will include a delivery room, a maternity recovery room for mothers, a nursery for the babies, and a midwife station.

The multi-million project has been supported by the Rotary Club of Albert Park Australia and the Rotary Club of Randers Sondre Denmark.

The health centre maternity wing serves people in parishes of Kanabulemu, Gwanda, and Minziro, offering services including antenatal and deliveries, laboratory services, immunization, outpatient and inpatient consultations, among others.

The health centre has a target of attending to 390 mothers every year, however, about 120 appear for maternal and child health services.

During the construction launch, Claire Kisirisa Kasumba, In Charge of Kyebe Health Centre III explained that they have been conducting deliveries and other services in a dilapidated maternity building, where the sealing leaked whenever it rained.

"There was one old bed that was not up to the recommended standard of the maternity services and would lead to back pain complaints from the mothers," she said.

She said the new maternity is likely to attract more mothers to deliver at the health centre under a trained health worker which she said will further reduce the mortality rate in the district. 

Julius Patrick Senoga a counselor at the health centre believes that many mothers decline to give birth at the centre and go to traditional birth attendants due to lack of trust in the facilities at the centre.

"Mothers attend antenatal sessions at the facility however when it comes to deliveries, many do not show up," he noted.

Michael Saava Kabanda, the president of the Rotary Club of Konge Lukuli explained that maternal and child health is one of the core areas of focus for the Rotary Foundation. 

Kabanda said Rotarians realized that the residents of Kyebe and health workers were being challenged by the absence of required delivery equipment like beds which he said was frustrating safe deliveries and is putting the lives of mothers and their babies at high risk.

"We have plans to include a theatre where mothers can be operated on to reduce the risks and expenses that come with referrals to the far away Kakuuto Health Centre IV.

He added that once completed, Rotarians are to equip the maternity ward with equipment like delivery beds, delivery kits, resuscitation kits, and an ultrasound scanner among others.

Francisco Ssemwanga, the Governor District 9214 Uganda and Tanzania thanked international partners for standing with the club in its quest to ensure that others and neonates receive standard health care. 

The governor used the platform to warn clubs against miss using Rotary Foundation global grants adding that these need a lot of accountability, reporting, and stewardship.

"If one Club mismanages a global grant, the whole district is blacklisted. This year as a governor, I have fought with two clubs in Tanzania that mismanaged grants, affecting our other grant requests," he said.

Ssewanga said if a club gets money and it's not accounted for well, all members of the club have to pay it back.

He said if members of the club fail, all members of the other clubs in the district are forced to pay the money which he said is not good.

Francisco Ssemwanga, the District 9214 governor hands Claire Kisirisa Kasumba, the In Charge Kyebe Health Centre III a Rotary budge. This was during the launch of the construction of the state-of-the-art maternity ward at Kyebe Health Centre III in Kyotera district. (All Photos by Lawrence Mulondo)

What leaders say

Francis Kizza the Chairperson LC III Kyebe sub county asked the beneficiaries of the project to own it and guard the structures and equipment seriously to avoid misuse.

"The projects do not belong to health workers as these can be transferred any time, but belong to locals that will have their children and grandchildren treated in the facilities. It is the locals' mandate to safeguard them," he said.

Kizza said the maternity ward would bring relief to both patients and health workers since many of the mothers that would be referred to Kakuuto Health Centre IV for specialized services while in labor would either lose their lives or those of the babies while on the way.

"Our road is in a poor state and the absence of an ambulance also frustrates referrals from the health centre. Two years ago, a lady that had been referred to Kakuuto Health Centre IV gave birth on the way due to flooding which put both the life of the baby and that of the mother at risk," he said.

"We are happy as leaders since people will be getting good maternal health services that we have been promising for long."

Javiira Walakira Kabanda, the LC1 chairperson of Nalubega Village, said the maternity that was at the health centre was constructed during the reign of the late King of Buganda Muteesa II in the 1960s and that all things that were being used there were too old.

"We as local leaders would actually question if a lady could give birth successfully at the ward and consider every baby born there as a miracle.

Walakira was however quick to say that they could do minimal to help as leaders due to financial constraints.

He said they are to put up a committee of residents to ensure that the construction of the maternity ward is successful and it is maintained well once completed. 

"I call upon all locals to support the construction in any way they can. Those that can offer needed materials should do it for the success of the project," he said.