Serere Health Centre IV gets theatre

Mar 16, 2016

The deplorable condition of the theatre kept patients away, leading to high mortality rates among mothers as complicated deliveries could not be urgently addressed

It was all excitement as residents of Serere district in eastern Uganda witnessed the handover of a renovated modern theatre at Serere Health centre IV.

The theatre refurbishment that cost over sh40m was by Amref Health Africa with support from Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs under their "Staying Alive Project" which aims at promoting fistula care and prevention, post abortal care, and family planning in poor areas.

Dr Daniel Ogwal, the in charge of the health centre, said Serere health centre IV is the major referral in the district which offers so many activities including emergency obstetric care (EmOC) - care of women and new-borns during pregnancy, delivery and the time after delivery.  

Ogwal explained that due to the poor condition of the theatre, they were almost giving up with especially EmOC surgeries.

 fficials take a tour of the facility Officials take a tour of the facility

 

"The ceiling was almost collapsing which put the patients and the surgeons at risk. We had no lights so operations at night were a big challenge in that we had to improvise. Cleaning the floor was also a big challenge, as it was so cracked that whenever we cleaned after operations, blood would remain in the cracked floor," Ogwal explained.

Ogwal explained that the deplorable condition of the theatre kept patients away, leading to high mortality rates among mothers as complicated deliveries could not be urgently addressed.  

"We would refer most emergency operations to Soroti Regional Referral hospital which is about 50KM away and unaffordable to most poor and rural  patients of Serere especially women. We are happy that we are to officially resume our services to the people. My call on the patients that we are now ready to effectively handle EmOC services as well as other medical emergencies," Ogawal stressed.

Akelo Jane, a pregnant mother found at the Outpatient section, expressed gratitude to Amref for the renovating the theatre that had been in a state of disrepair for long.

Akello, a mother of four, said that she had never given birth at the health centre because of the stories she had heard from friends about the poor state, especially of the maternity ward and the theatre.

 



"I heard from the neighbourhood that the ceiling in the theatre was almost collapsing, and even the floor in the maternity wards were dilapidated and I got scared resorting to giving birth at home with a help of my relatives. However when I heard that they were commissioning a new theatre, I decided to come and be witness, that is when I also decided to attend antenatal care," she explained.

Joseph Opit Ojok the, LCV chairman Serere, said the theatre is a boost to the district as it will reduce on the number of referrals to Soroti Hospital, 50 kilometres away.

"The status of the theatre was undermining the confidence of the surgeons as they could not carry on operations in such a dilapidated place, but with the renovation, they are going to do their work without reservations because they know the place is now healthy," Opit explained.

 fficials on tour check out the new ceiling that was once caved in Officials on tour check out the new ceiling that was once caved in

 

He added that Serere district is faced with so many challenges that have hampered their efforts to promote good health care, highlighting the challenge of inadequate primary health care (PHC) development fund which has made it hard for authorities to curry out minor repairs of the health centres.

"Our wage bill too is not enough that is why we cannot hire more staffs at the different health centre in the district. We do not have a district hospital so we have to rely on referrals to the neighbouring districts yet if we had a hospital we could do it our own. The medicine provision is not enough because of the ever increasing number of patients yet medicine does not increase," Opit explained.  

Lilian Kamanzi, the acting communications and fundraising manager, called upon all mothers to utilise the facility because this is the only way the funders will feel their works are apriciated.

"Our role as Amref is to see that rural areas have access to basic health care, safe water and sanitation. This, alongside good hygiene," she explained.

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