Residents of Bombo Sub-county in Hoima District are unhappy with their leaders for failing to establish a health centre in the entire sub-county despite promising that its creation from the mother Kigorobya would improve health services.
Ms Doreen Giramiya, one of the residents, says they were promised a health centre among other services during the political campaigns ahead of the previous general elections but until now, nothing has materialised.
“It is nearly five years now that we have a sub-county but the attributes promised are nowhere to be seen. The services remain far from us,” she says.
Residents of Bombo sub-county can only access a public health facility by walking a distance of more than 12 kilometres to Kigorobya town council for the government Kigorobya Health Centre 4 services or rely on the Muslim founded Bombo Health Centre 2 services which is about nine kilometres from the farthest residents of the sub-county.
Ms Giramiya argues that even the geographical location of the private Bombo Health Centre 2 is not convenient causing a demand for a Health Centre 4 in a neutral location.
Bombo sub-county that comprises Lenju, Buhirigi, Wayayo, Hanga, Aliwara, Binichoni, Katugo and Avogera among other villages is home to more than 10,000 people, according to local leaders.
Mr Gideon Ochamgiu, a Village Health Team (VHT) worker for Lenju, fears that with the increasing population of teenagers, the number of cases of fistula and C-Section deliveries will increase due to lack of nearby health services.
He adds that even as VHTs, they find trouble travelling to make reports to the distant health centres about the people’s health statuses.
The VHT worker who is also acting as a Health Coordinator for Buhirigi parish in Bombo sub-county however, says they are continuing to sensitise communities about ensuring that they visit medical experts whenever they have health complications especially expectant mothers.
Mr Emmanuel Adriko, the Bombo Sub-county Local Government Chairman, confirms that accessibility to health services remains a big challenge to the residents.
“We do not have any well-equipped health centre and so we badly need a health centre 4 as it is part of the intentions,” he says.
They only have a vaccination centre and other simple services funded by the government Ministry of Health in conjunction with other international health organisations, according to him.
“We have made several reports about the challenge and hope that the government will respond since government things are always slow,” he says.
At their level of a sub-county, they are working to identify a piece of land where they will construct a health centre 4 when the government approves it.
