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KATAKWI - Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo has commissioned and handed over a fully-fledged Koritok Health Centre III in Usuk sub-county, Katakwi district.  

The shillings 1.2 billion health facility has been constructed with funding from Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program-UGIFT under government policy of ensuring that each sub-county in the country gets a well-equipped health centre III.

Commissioning the facility Friday (March 22),  Alupo who is the district Woman representative in Parliament, tasked the residents in the district to strongly embrace disease prevention services as opposed to curative.

She further appealed to women in the area to fully utilize the facility to boost antenatal services and also avoid the over six killer diseases adding that no woman should be found delivering from home.

Commissioning the facility Friday (March 22),  Alupo who is the district Woman representative in Parliament, tasked the residents in the district to strongly embrace disease prevention services as opposed to curative.

On behalf of the government, the vice president committed to implementing the policy of having a health centre III in every sub-county and each county with a health centre IV.

"As government, we encourage you to immunise all children against killer diseases and also the elderly should watch their diet to avoid obesity and diabetes," Alupo advised, encouraging all Ugandans to visit health facilities for routine checks and observe general health to avoid disease.

The Vice President also thanked the army for the disarmament exercise which has translated into peace in the entire Karamoja and Teso Sub regions, appreciating the government for continued peace and security in the Teso region and the country.

She also called upon teachers of both UPE and USE schools to stop illegal charges in schools and tasked Chief Administrative Officers (COAs) to implement the construction of boreholes in each village and construct solar-powered water sources in populated centres.

Alupo has commissioned and handed over a fully-fledged Koritok Health Centre III in Usuk sub-county, Katakwi district.  

She appealed to district authorities to also connect electricity to all government facilities in the district through rural electrification program.

Alupo thanked the president for extending shillings 1 billion meant for road construction and asked CAOs and engineering department to utilize these monies without abuse.

She called upon community to support government programs that promote poverty eradication in households like OWC, EMYOGA and asked the beneficiaries to put money to good use to eliminate poverty from households.

She appreciated the district leadership led by the district chair Geoffrey Omolo for his tireless work together with the council.

Thanked the Ministry of Health for delivery of drugs however, there's need to rectify the schedule and be timely since the population will always time the delivery and pick up all drugs.

Alupo however expressed disappointment with the management of Aakum Health Centre III which she said was started in 1914, but never completed, asking the health ministry to directly hand over its construction to the UPDF Engineering brigade.

She also called upon the district engineer to always involve the UPDF in the education and health construction to the UPDF since they don't ask for kickbacks.

"UPDF has our sons and daughters. I congratulate the unit for the work done by UPDF during the expansion of Entebbe International Airport."

Alupo thanked the president for his pronouncement on Katakwi and Lwengo districts to get first-class hospitals and directed the health ministry to implement the presidential directive.

If constructed, Katakwi Hospital is expected to serve the whole of the Karamoja, Acholi, and Lango regions.

She said when completed, the hospital is expected to have a capacity that will allow no one to seek health care outside Uganda.

She told the ministry that the district had enough land and thanked the president for uniting Uganda.

Alupo used the occasion to express her sincere appreciation to President  Yoweri Museveni for reappointing her as the Vice President of Uganda. 

"I'm deeply honoured and grateful for the trust and confidence you have bestowed upon me," the newly reappointed Vice President said. 

Usuk MP Bosco Okiror challenged the community to timelily utilize the facility by regularly making check-ups to know their health status.

Alupo encouraged all Ugandans to visit health facilities for routine checks and observe general health to avoid disease.

He also appealed to the government to fully equip the facility with enough drugs and personnel for them to get adequate health services.

He emphasized that expectant mothers will no longer have to move long distances to access better health services.

The District Health Officer Dr. Simon Omeke warned women against using the services of traditional birth attendants-TBAs saying they were phased out by the government. 
He vowed to compel government to recruit more health workers to work in the various health facilities existing in the district to offer appropriate health services.

The district Chairman, Godfrey Omolo, said the newly constructed health facility will help enhance immunization, antenatal care, and health education services.

Saviour Okwi, the deputy Resident District Commissioner, said the construction of the health facility is a big milestone towards the enhancement of health service delivery in the area.

Michael Olupot a resident, said the construction of the facility is a big boost to the health sector in the district. He called on fellow residents to make use of the facility by getting regular checkups to know their health status.

He said some women would die along the way to faraway facilities and others at the hands of unqualified personnel in the area due to lack of good health services.

The newly constructed facility is comprised of antenatal, male, female, and children wards, a waiting room, and staff quarters among others.