COMMUNITY PUSHES FOR UPGRADE OF LOGIRI HEALTH CENTRE TO IMPROVE HEALTH SERVICES

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

The communities in Logiri Sub-county are advocating for the upgrade of Logiri Health Centre III to Health Centre IV and the creation of additional health facilities to improve access to essential health services.

This demand was articulated during a community Barraza organized by the Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD) under the project “Strengthening Civic Participation for Effective Accountability and Transparency in the Public Sector.”

Phiona Drateru, the district female councilor elect for Logiri North, highlighted this concern to district officials during the event, urging for the upgrade and the establishment of new health centers to better serve the community.

“Logiri health center III needs to be upgraded to health center IV status because the sub-county is one of the vast sub-counties in Arua district, more health centers should as well be created for those communities who are very far from the facility which is the reason why most of women here prefer giving birth at home, we really need a doctor at Logiri health center III because it serves very big population and if it will be upgraded many of our health challenges will be addressed,” she said.

Dr. Geoffrey Orijabo, the acting District Health Officer of Arua, however, pointed out that the communities preference for seeking medical services at Yofenyiri health center in the Democratic Republic of Congo contributes to the decline in patients at Logiri Health Centre III.

He emphasized the district’s efforts to address health challenges through weekly community outreach programs at the parish level, encouraging residents to utilize the existing health facilities, which in turn could support the case for upgrading the health center.

“To upgrade Logiri health center IV to health IV status there should be an evidence that the population who seek health services at the facility is very big, so if half of the population in the sub-county is seeking health services there it will be very difficult to upgrade the facility, my request to the community is that let them continue to come to the facility and utilize it so that government will be able to see that there is need to upgrade the facility to the required level,” he said.

Currently, Logiri Health Centre III handles approximately 50-60 deliveries per month, a significant decline from the expected 109 deliveries it was designed to manage. This decrease underscores the need for upgrading to better serve the community’s health needs.

The district prioritizes upgrading health centers in high-population and underserved areas to reduce the burden on referral hospitals. Additionally, the government’s broader plan includes upgrading select health centers nationwide.

The community’s advocacy for improved facilities aligns with government initiatives aimed at strengthening primary healthcare through increased investments in health centers, ultimately aiming to improve health outcomes and reduce reliance on higher-level referral hospitals.