Leaders and residents in Masaka district have raised concern over the shortage of staff quarters at the district’s government health centres. This, they claim, jeopardises the quality of health-care services.
Masaka district contains six government lower health centre IIs, which are Zzimwe and Buyaga in Kyannamukaaka subcounty, Kitunga and Kamwozi in Kyesiiga subcounty, Mazinga in Buwunga subcounty, and Lambu in Bukakata subcounty.
Locals allege that, despite being the nearest service delivery points, the facilities fall short of their expectations due to a lack of dependable workers at the stations.
Francis Winnyi, a councillor representing Mazinga Parish in Buwunga sub-county, claims that the lack of staff quarters at the Mazinga government health institution, the sole facility in the region, has made health workers unproductive since patients are not being seen on time.
He explains that they are also finding it hard to hold the health workers accountable for their inefficiencies, thereby appealing to the government to consider improving the standards of lower-level health units, especially in the rural areas, and strategically help to address the problem of patient backlogs in higher health facilities.
Janifer Nakalema, a resident of Mazinga, says that patients who are recommended for regular follow-up are usually inconvenienced because they cannot get the services, especially in the morning and evening hours. As a result, she says, many are forced to move long distances on self-referral to either Buwunga Health Center III or Masaka Hospital.
Nakalema prefers that the health centre is also supported to offer maternity services to expectant mothers who currently have limited options because the midwives cannot be readily accessed, especially at night.
Jane Francis Kizito, the female councillor representing Kamwozi and Buyaga parishes in Kyesiiga sub-county, says his constituents that are served by Kamwozi health centre II are also affected as health workers use the excuse of staff quarters as justification for their chronic absenteeism from work.
According to her, the health centre structures, medical equipment, and drugs are at risk of vandalism and theft because they are left with nobody to watch over them at night and over the weekends.
Martin Ssenkeezi, the Buwunga sub-county chairperson, says that they have noticed authorities at Masaka district local government about the urgency of constructing staff quarters at lower-level health facilities. He says they are also mobilising communities to contribute materials and other resources to respond to the problem as they wait for the government to come in and rescue the situation.
But the 2021/22 Masaka district approved work plan did not provide for the construction of staff quarters at any of the health centres; it budgeted for 13 million shillings to construct only one Outpatient Department-OPD ward at Kitunga Health Centre II in Kyesiiga sub-county.