Speaker Kadaga opposes government’s move to phase out parish health units

By Moses Kizito Buule, Mukono

The speaker of parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has expressed her opposition to a government suggestion to do away with health centre II units in the country, arguing that they are an essential component in bridging the hurdle created by distances moved by patients.

Kadaga was on Monday commissioning Mwanyangiri Health Centre II at Naluvule village, Wankoba parish in Nakisunga sub-county constructed by Mukono South member of parliament Johnson Senyonga Muyanja in fulfillment of an election campaign pledge.

The health unit offering services including out-patients (OPD), immunization, family planning, ante-natal clinic (ANC) and youth friendly services, is the only one available locally with the next unit being Mukono Health Centre IV, more than ten kilometers away.

The speaker also suggested that testing and treating women of the cervical cancer carrying human papilloma virus (HPV) be made mandatory and routine, as a means of checking its fast widespread.

“We have a fast spreading problem of cervical cancer and I want to suggest that women seeking any form of treatment or medical attention at health units should be unconditionally subjected to the HPV test and management” she suggested.

In his address, MP Senyonga said he was touched by distances covered by patients especially expectant mothers in search of medical services in Mukono, and those suffering from deadly diseases like cervical cancer.

He added that because of the magnitude of the problem, locals made a contribution of close to shs 200,000/- towards the construction work, and appealed to medical personnel in the district to ensure regular re-stocking of drugs to make the unit a community benefit.

The LC I Chairperson elect Dorothy Nabbanja thanked Senyonga for the gesture, adding however that they would have needed a bigger one owing to the catchment area of the unit which she said extaneds beyond her village.

She said many women have in the past been delivering from inexperienced traditional birth attendants where many lost either their lives, their newly born babies or both.