American donors equip Kibiito Health Centre

American donors and volunteers under their umbrella body known as the American Foundation for Children with AIDS have donated an assortment of hospital items to Kibiito Health Centre in Bunyangabu county Kabarole district.

The items included 40 beds, 40 mattresses, baby incubators, baby warmers, wheel chairs among others.

Handing over the items today at Kibiito health Centre, Tanya Weaver the Executive Director American Foundation for Children with AIDS said that their intervention is aimed at caring for mothers and ensuring better health for their children.

The donation is estimated to have cost 428,000 dollars.

"The container that we shipped to Uganda was parked by a lot of volunteers that happen to care about the people of Uganda. We received most of the donations from hospitals and nursing homes in the United States" Tanya said.

Tanya said that the donations are a humanitarian gift to the health facility and further warned authorities against selling, misplacing or misusing them.

"We ask that the materials and equipment not to be sold, not to be given away, not to be used anywhere but where they are intended to be used" she warned.

She stated that "the only thing that we expect is that women will have a place that is safe to give birth and that they will have a place that is safe for those babies so that they can be healthy".

Kibiito Health Centre delivers over 200 mothers per month according to Dr Robert Bijja the health in charge.

Bijja said that some of the donations are to be sent to the lower health units in the districts.

"We serve a target population of over 65,000 patients some of whom come from far beyond our catchment area. We shall have to equip the lower health units with some of the facilities donated. By doing so am sure we shall reduce on the crowds that flock this facility" Bijja said as he received the donation.

The district chairman Richard Rwabuhinga said that the district and the nation at large were winning the war in the fight against HIV at child birth but regretted that little has been done to keep the children safe from HIV as they grow into adolescents.

"There is need for a strong message for the youth both in and out of school to enable them stay and remain safe from HIV" Rwabuhinga said.