SHEEMA – A government health centre in Sheema Municipality has turned down a donation of a scan and cash from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
FDC through its former contestant in the municipality parliamentary by-election, Virginia Plan Mugyenyi, on January 27, arrived at Kabwohe Health IV to deliver the UGX12.5m which was meant to buy mattresses together with a scan machine.
But the management of Kabwohe Health Centre IV refused to receive the items, claiming that the officials who had donated didn’t go through the right channels.
Ms Mugyenyi said she was handing over the items to fulfill a pledge she made during 2018 by-election campaigns. She said that patients, most especially pregnant mothers, were suffering, with some having to pay for scanning services at private health centres.
“I had come to support our own health centre because we know there are so many things lacking here and one of the things I thought was a priority is a scan, since the facility lacks one yet it has a maternity ward. I mobilized and solicited money from my friends; the scanner is worth Shs15M, but unfortunately, the In-charge has rejected it, claiming that I must use other channels,” Ms Mugyenyi is quoted as saying.
However, Dr Davis Asiimwe, the Health Centre In-charge, rejected the offer, saying that Ms Mugyenyi didn’t go through right procedures to deliver the donations.
Ms Mugyenyi said she was disappointed by what she described as insensitive leaders who neglect “our mothers and sisters when actually there other opportunities through which we can help our people.”
“Remember pregnant women are sent to Mbarara, Kitagata, Ishaka or to private health centres for scanning because the health centre doesn’t have a scan. I requested them to accept the cheque of Shs12.5M to buy mattresses but still they rejected it. Now I don’t know what to do,” she said.
Felix Mujuni, a resident from Sheema North whom we found at the Health Centre said that “That one is automatic; when I heard that Virginia was bringing support here, I knew they wouldn’t accept it because all pregnant women here who need a scan are advised to go to BMC hospital [minister Elioda’s private hospital in Kabwohe] for the better services. “
He added that; “Remember there are charges that come with services there, which means our own minister Tumwesigye is gaining too much from the absence of the scan at this government health centre. Therefore, Virginia bringing here a scan was going to be an automatic loss for the minister.”
However, this wasn’t the first time Kabwohe Health Centre IV was rejecting Mugyenyi’s support. Last year she wanted to build toilets for the facility because patients were easing themselves from a nearby bush ut still she was stopped by management.
