BUTALEJA -The long-awaited refurbishment and equipping of the 57-year old Busolwe General Hospital in Butaleja district has begun.
The hospital built in 1968, is among the dilapidated health facilities in the country as no major rehabilitation or re-equipping has taken place there.
Anifa Kawooya, the State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, emphasised that the government with support from the kingdom of Spain had committed Shs 28 billion towards construction, refurbishment, and equipment of the hospital.
She said the renovation and expansion will improve the quality of healthcare at the hospital.
The Minister urged the people of Butaleja district to closely monitor the project to its logical conclusion.
George Otim, the Commissioner Health Infrastructure in the Ministry of Health, said the refurbishment and equipping of Busolwe General Hospital has started with renovation.
He said that the renovation will change the facility.
“We are going to renovate the wards, work on the sewerage system, among others. We shall make sure we revamp the whole outlook of this facility,” he said.
The works for the18-months project are being undertaken by Excel Construction Company Limited.
He said the project scope at Busolwe General Hospital includes renovation of hospital wards and extensions, new constructions to expand accident and emergency wards as well as improvement of water supply systems.
The construction will also address; staff motivation and retention through improvement and provision of staff housing; improvement of accident and emergency services through provision of a new causality ward with an emergency theatre, an ambulance and mortuary with a fridge to keep nine bodies.
There will also be improvement of reproductive health services through expansion of the delivery suites and provision of an obsetric theatre; improvement of hygiene through provision of solar powered boreholes including a 144,000 litre water reservoir; improvement of outreach and referral services through provision of a double cabin pickup vehicle and an ambulance.
This reporter learnt that the promise to give Busolwe hospital a facelift was made 30 years ago.
The renovation comes a year after local leaders and residents protested the government’s failure to repair the facility, which they say has been in a poor state for the past 35 years.
The hospital with in-patient capacity of 100 beds serves more than 200 patients from Namutumba, Bugiri, Butaleja,Budaka Tororo districts daily. The Health Ministry said the introduction of a trauma [emergency] centre would increase the number.
The chief administrative officer Butaleja district, Ben Lawrence Marley, asked National Medical Stores to address the challenge of delayed delivery of medicines and supplies.
The district LCV Chairperson, Michael Higenyi, asked the government to include Doctor’s houses on the project.
“This project has left out the Doctors’ Wing and yet it’s in bad state. We request the government to include it,” he said.
The Butaleja District Woman MP, Florence Nebanda, said it has been over 30 years without renovating the hospital.
“We have been reminding the government to renovate the facility [hospital]. We are now happy that they have started the work,” Nebanda said.
https://thecooperator.news/govt-moves-to-improve-staff-accommodation-at-busolwe-hospital/
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