Community Based Initiative for Rural Development
P.O.BOX 887 Masaka- Uganda
Email.
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Date: 09/Feb/2017
REPORT OF THE UPGRADED BUKEERI HEALTH CENTER III FUNDED BY THE ALLEN FOUNDATION
Introduction
Poverty reduction program is one of CBIRD’s major focuses. Poverty is a major cause of ill health and a barrier to accessing health care when needed. This relationship is financial: the poor cannot afford to purchase those things that are needed for good health, including sufficient quantities of quality food and health care. But, the relationship is also related to other factors related to poverty, such as lack of voice needed to make social services work for them.
Ill health, in turn, is a major cause of poverty. This is partly due to the costs of seeking health care, which include not only out-of-pocket spending on care such as consultations, tests and medicine, but also transportation costs and any informal payments to providers. Poor families coping with illness might be forced to sell assets to cover medical expenses, borrow at high interest rates or become indebted to the community. Good Health services improve the health status of the whole population, but especially of the poor among whom ill health and poor access to health care tends to be concentrated, as well as protect households from the effects of out-of-pocket health care costs.
CBIRD’s Participation
CBIRD, a very small initiative in Masaka – Uganda, works among the very poor people in rural isolated communities, where people are not protected from the effects of out-of-pocket health care costs. Based on that, CBIRD identified BUKEERI HEALTH CENTER III that is located in Buwunga Sub County in Masaka District with a population of approximately 48,000. In this area If the patient has not been served at Bukeeri health center with the meager resources which are sometimes unavailable, the patient’s only option has been to continue on to Masaka 22 km away and most people can’t afford the services there including transport.
At Bukeeri Health Center III, there has been lack of beds, mattresses, and a source of light especially for the delivering mothers. The nurses/health workers at Bukeeri had issues of transportation to pick up drugs form the referral hospital in Masaka and often used their own small stipend. Gloves, gumboots, and many other things have been lacking in this health center.
The role of The Allen foundation in the Cause to Upgrade Bukeeri Health Center III
We are very grateful to the Allen foundation who donated US$8643.47 to upgrade Bukeeri Health Center III. This money was used to buy the following items:
- 15 locally sourced beds with IV stands and 15 mattresses
- 2 solar systems
- 2 motorcycles
- 18 pairs of gum boots
- 30 boxes of disposable Gloves
- 1Water Tank installation and fittings and labour
- 30 boxes of Surgical gloves
The foundation went on to raise funds for:
- Transport for beds to the clinic
- Travel to the clinic to administer the grant
- Grant administration fees CBIRD
- And funds for Paint and patching supplies
This was a huge donation which has never been received in this health center nor in any other health center in Masaka District of Uganda.
The donation was carried to Bukeeri Health center III on 23/01/2017. A great number of people were present including local leaders from Local Council One, the Officers from the District Health Office, Traditional Leaders from the Kingdom of Buganda, Member of Parliament and many more.
In the pictures is Jude (Left) with the In-charge for Bukeeri Health Center III after handing the first Motor cycle to him on behalf of the health center and the entire community.
The in-charge shared his experience at Bukeeri Health center which was so touching. He explained that in his life, he had never received such a donation as this from the Allen foundation. He added that, in the few years he has spent at this center, he has written several letters to different people including the District Health department to improve health services at Bukeeri Health center. However, he had never received any positive response because the district health department is also working to support other centers which are in poorer state than Bukeeri health center.
The in-charge promised to take good care of all the items that had been given to the center and assured quality services to the people around.
Left, are the two solar panels that were donated to Bukeeri health center III. Right with the nurse are the two sources of light (a kerosene lamp and a small torch) which were used before as sources of light before the health center was given the solar system!! These two sources of light were used in labor room! This was putting mothers and children’s life in danger. The two solar panels are strong enough to provide light to 6 rooms and provide light outside for night security. The system is already in use at the health center.
Thank you very much The Allen foundation for the value you attached to the life of the people in rural isolated areas of Masaka.
This is a 10000 Ltr water tank! It is going to solve the problem of water scarcity at the health center. This water tank will strictly be used at the labor section to help delivering mothers. We hope to see it used in the rain season which starts in March.
These were the beds with IV stands that were received by Bukeeri health center III. They are good quality beds which are expected to last longer.
One of the local people had this to say after seeing these beds:
“There are no more worries about health services in our area. We are now better than the referral hospital in Masaka where we have been going before. Even if I fall sick now, we have received what befits a human being and I know, I can get well very quickly. I am full of joy because even if I fail to walk to this health center, there are motor cycles which can come to my village (6kms away from here). Our nurses are now going to work happily because they have all they need to serve us better. We remain with one big problem to address: a safe maternity ward for our wives. The one we have now is not meant to handle peoples’ life. We know and we are sure we shall get one kind person to sponsor it and we shall get it one day. Who knew we would receive such a donation at this very time? Thank you CBIRD and all your friends who have heard our cry.”
When beds were received, one old lady who once was a health worker asked to make a demonstration of how the doctors will be checking and treating people on the new beds. The doctor did it and this very lady – Nandago 80 yrs, slept to be checked and was found with high blood pressure. The old lady was asked to see the nurse after the handover exercise was finished.
These were some of the mattresses that were donated to Bukeeri health center III. They were all covered with rubber covers for easy cleaning and to render them more durable.
These were the sterile latex surgical gloves that were received by nurses of Bukeeri health center. One nurse shared her experience:
“Gloves are very important in our work here. We need them in the maternity room, we need them when we are treating wounds, and we need them even when we are just touch a sick person. But very often we do not have them. That is why we have to ask the patients to carry their own gloves when they come here for the services that require us to have gloves. It is not a good thing, but we have to do it because gloves give us some protection from some dangerous diseases. With the gloves we have received, at least for some months, we shall be safe and patients will not bring gloves. They will save that little money for gloves to buy books for their children since the academic term has already started. However, the donation we have received is going to attract many people from different places which will make the resources very few. But we are so grateful to Mr. Muleke Jude who has always thought about us in all areas of life including education, health, sports etc..”
What should be expected after the upgrade of the health center?
- We expect to see better services with a happy working staff of medical nurses.
- We also expect to do frequent monitoring to ensure the donation is put to good use. The community will be part of the monitoring team - they will feed us with information about the donation.
- We shall stress community involvement in the cleaning and security of the premises of the health center- they will help to do the slashing and sweeping around the health center.
- The local leaders from the district to the villages will be put to task to make sure they
- We shall ensure full time security by a watchman to give full security to the entire health center. This is a responsibility of the Local leaders at Local council III together with the leaders at the village where the health center is located.
- We expect to see more people coming from further places to seek health services at Bukeeri Health center III.
What are CBIRD’s future plans about Bukeeri Health Center III?
The work at Bukeeri Health Center III is still big if health services are to be made better. As the community already mentioned, there is need to put in place a decent maternity ward. CBIRD’s next activity will be to find ways to see if this maternity ward can be put in place. This is quite a big task but we strongly believe that we can start on it.
Conclusion:
For the people of Bukeeri and the neighboring areas have started the New Year 2017 with joy. The new donation received from the Allen foundation has been said to be one of the biggest since the health center was put in place. We strongly believe that life of the local people around will greatly change and they will be able to save the little money they have to cater for household needs other than using it to travel long distances to Masaka referral hospital for health services.
However, there is need to think about putting up a maternity word that is decent at Bukeeri Health center III. This will save many lives of women who die in their homes because they lack money to go to far and expensive health centers.
We are so grateful to The Allen foundation and to whoever had a hand in contributing towards the cause of saving people’s life by providing medical equipment to Bukeeri Health center III. Thank you very much everyone.
By
Jude Muleke
CBIRD founder