Alebtong gets two new health units
ALEBTONG – The construction and upgrading of two health units in Alebtong district to improve access to health services delivery in the district has been completed and now awaits handover.
The health facilities upgraded from health center II to III status include Angetta and Awei according to the local leadership.
Four years ago, the government earmarked Shs 1.8b to upgrade three health units in the district in the first phase of an intergovernmental fiscal transfer program funded by the World Bank.
But according to Bonney Ocen, the Chairperson Works and Technical Services of Alebtong, Anara health unit which was among the construction projects to be completed is not convincing the district leadership.
“The construction of Angetta and Awei are complete but for Anara, we are not satisfied with the work and we want the contractor to come back on the site and correct some areas,” Ocen says.
For Angetta and Awei, Wangi Gen Company Ltd was undertaking the work and Anara was awarded to Power and Bay Company Ltd.
The scope of the work was construction of general ward, improvement of out-patient department, putting in two twin houses, construction of VIP latrine, placenta pit and medical waste.
The district Secretary for Education and Health, Jamila Kasim says the construction of another two health units which include Abia and Akura are ongoing in this second phase of the projects.
“Anara is almost complete and is due for handover but during our monitoring and supervision, we identified some defects which need to be corrected before we receive it,” she said.
Kasim says the five sub-counties didn’t have health center III as required by the government and the Ministry of Health.
She says, by establishing and uplifting the facilities, delivery will be conducted, an increased number of health workers, services shall improve and immunization will be conducted.
There has been a delay in the completion of the three health units since 2019 after Otada Construction Company Ltd encountered financial challenges and they abandoned the sites.
Since there was an urgent need for health services because of the high population, the government gave the district a blessing to source for a new firm to finish the work.
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