Councillors in Koboko District Decry Low staffing level in Health Facilities

By Ronald Acema

Koboko District councillors have approved the elevation of four Health Centre II facilities in to the level of Health Center III in order to improve the quality of health service delivery in the district.

The Chairperson of Social Services Committee Grace Goro who presented this recommendation to the council during the recent Council argued that the elevation of the lower health facilities would come with additional staffing.

“Much as we are approving the elevation of these lower facilities, it will come with an additional commitment of providing the necessary personnel and finance for these facilities. We are therefore urging government to expedite the process of providing more personnel even to the existing facilities”, she said.

Bazil Candiga the Councillor representing People with Disabilities and a member of Social Services Committee described the current staffing level involving Health Facilities in the District as pathetic, a situation that, the new district leadership under the stewardship of Mambo Ashraf should prioritise for better service delivery in Koboko district.

“We should not be proud of the current status we have right now. A number of facilities do not have enough personnel to carry out their daily assignments and this is affecting their efficiency. You find a health worker is sometimes sleeping during day duties at some facilities because they had a sleepless night. Something needs to be done”, she said.

The Councillor representing Midia Sub county and Secretary Social Services Koboko District Local Government has admitted that, the elevation of the lower Health Facilities will help to increase staffing levels in the District.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine formally communicated to Koboko District Local Government on the 10 December 2020 to allow the elevation of four Health Centre II facilities to Health Centre III’s with effect from July 1 2021, and the blessing of the council is expected to see Oraba Health Centre II and Kuluba Health II, Pijoke II and Lurujo Health Centre II attain the status of Health Center III’s in the 2021/2022 financial Year.

Uganda’s doctor-patient and nurse-patient ratio is approximately 1:25 000 and 1:11 000 respectively. This is way below the World Health Organization WHO recommended doctor-patient ratio of 1:1000.

COVER PHOTO: Mambo Ashraf, Koboko District Chairperson. He has been taskedon low staffing gap in the district. Photo by Ronald Acema.