Kira health centre boosted by local leaders
Feb 14, 2007
A woman cradles her toddler in the examination ward of Kira Town Council. A nurse ushers her into the examination room. The toddler is examined and diagonised with malaria.
By Joshua Kato
A woman cradles her toddler in the examination ward of Kira Town Council. A nurse ushers her into the examination room. The toddler is examined and diagonised with malaria.
This is at Kira Health Centre3, one of the three health centres in the town council. The others are Kireka, Bweyogerere and Kimwanyi.
Kira has a well-organised reception, examination room, injection room, store, laboratory, male and female wards and a maternity ward. There are also nine hospital beds, several microscopes for the lab, and a refrigerator for vaccines.
“We receive an average of 80 patients everyday,†says the clinical officer, Sarah Nakantu. Malaria is the most common sickness treated. The centre also carries out HIV/AIDS testing and immunisation and services are free.
The health centre is fairing well because local leaders have contributed to its development. “The health centre is at that level because of the input of the town council,†Mayor Mamerito Mugerwa says.
Started in 1994, it was a small structure with three rooms until early 2001.
“When I was elected mayor, the health centre was one small building. We have since extended it to include both female and male wards,†he says.
“We got donations from friends in the US,†Mamerito says. “Each of the beds cost sh0.6m. They also brought microscopes and promised more assistance in the future.â€
Mamerito says the health centre has performed well because of effective supervision from the local leadership.
“We make sure that we find out what is going on at the health centre all the time,†says Hajji Ahmed Bbale, the town council’s minister of health.
The four medical personnel at the centre are paid by government. Other equipment has been got through lobbying and mobilisation by local leaders.
However, Mamerito says: “The health centres are understaffed.â€
Locals who use the centre are happy with the services.
“They offer us good services that save us the trouble of going to Mulago or any other big hospital,†says Sarah Namwanje, whose child was suffering from malaria.
A woman cradles her toddler in the examination ward of Kira Town Council. A nurse ushers her into the examination room. The toddler is examined and diagonised with malaria.
This is at Kira Health Centre3, one of the three health centres in the town council. The others are Kireka, Bweyogerere and Kimwanyi.
Kira has a well-organised reception, examination room, injection room, store, laboratory, male and female wards and a maternity ward. There are also nine hospital beds, several microscopes for the lab, and a refrigerator for vaccines.
“We receive an average of 80 patients everyday,†says the clinical officer, Sarah Nakantu. Malaria is the most common sickness treated. The centre also carries out HIV/AIDS testing and immunisation and services are free.
The health centre is fairing well because local leaders have contributed to its development. “The health centre is at that level because of the input of the town council,†Mayor Mamerito Mugerwa says.
Started in 1994, it was a small structure with three rooms until early 2001.
“When I was elected mayor, the health centre was one small building. We have since extended it to include both female and male wards,†he says.
“We got donations from friends in the US,†Mamerito says. “Each of the beds cost sh0.6m. They also brought microscopes and promised more assistance in the future.â€
Mamerito says the health centre has performed well because of effective supervision from the local leadership.
“We make sure that we find out what is going on at the health centre all the time,†says Hajji Ahmed Bbale, the town council’s minister of health.
The four medical personnel at the centre are paid by government. Other equipment has been got through lobbying and mobilisation by local leaders.
However, Mamerito says: “The health centres are understaffed.â€
Locals who use the centre are happy with the services.
“They offer us good services that save us the trouble of going to Mulago or any other big hospital,†says Sarah Namwanje, whose child was suffering from malaria.