BUDAKA – Telecom giants, MTN Uganda, on Friday, May 24, handed over a fully refurbished Naboa health care in Budaka district in their campaign of DoGood Uganda.
The Telecom Company renovated, refurbished and equipped the Health Center with hospital beds, mattresses, mosquito nets, and a water tank, and constructed a placenta disposal plant among other things as a sign to save a life.
Mike Blackburn the MTN’s Chief Financial Officer said, “We are pleased that we can help make a difference in our mothers’ lives.”
Blackburn said that MTN Uganda Foundation would have wished to give more equipment but the hospital wards are limited by bed capacity.
“In the bigger facilities like Kamukira hospital maternity ward in Kabale, we donated 20 beds. However, some of the maternity wards we are renovating have a small bed capacity but we are happy to give all the support we can as,” he added.
The Budaka District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Pamela Nasiyo officiated the event and thanked MTN for reaching out to the people of Budaka and choosing to improve this health facility.
“We are very thankful that we were chosen for such a good project that is going to improve the lives of our mothers and children in Budaka and the neighbouring communities,” Hon Nasiyo said.
“As a champion for improvement of maternal health, it gives me absolute pleasure to see that the biggest telecom in the land aspires for the same,” she added.
Eriyada Sam officer-In-charge of Naboa Health Centre III applauded MTN for this good cause saying that “The challenges we have been facing are now reduced thanks to MTN’s comprehensive package.”
Eriyada added that mothers will now give birth in a more comfortable environment and believes this will lead to more safe deliveries.
“657 mothers to be delivered here was our target in the financial year. We have only done 56% of the target. There has been no privacy for the mothers when they come to deliver,” Eriyada added.
The health officer also highlighted the water problem at the facility where the hospital and the whole community have been using one borehole. “Now we have a tank for the hospital,” he remarked.
According to Naboa Health Centre officials, today marks a turning point for improved service delivery in the facility remarking that the facility started in 1982 offering services like OPD, Family planning, Maternity & postnatal among others.
MTN officials noted that up to UGX 5 billion is allocated every year by the MTN Foundation towards corporate social responsibility with the main focus on improving health and education services.
On this specific case, the telecom company has spent over 60 million Uganda shillings.
MTN Foundation has been reaching out to different communities including an ICT laboratory at Adjumani’s Amelo Vocational Training Institute that was launched on May 24.
The Foundation
aims at prioritizing youth empowerment and support to national causes.
“As a company, there is no greater commitment that we can give Uganda,
than the means to ensure the basic functional systems of the community are met,” MTN twitted.