By David Imaa.
Tororo District Engineer, Andrew Asaya, has directed the contractor for the newly constructed Malaba Health Center IV Mr Ojoro Francis, to first finish the pending works on the facility before payment can be effected.
The directive was issued during the directive during the commissioning of the Malaba Health Center IV which was constructed under the project undertaken by WHIMSY Uganda Limited at 400million Uganda Shillings.
Before the commissioning, it was however discovered that the placenta pit that was dug to serve the maternity ward was shallow, and the shutters in the doors of the facility were not straight.
Engineer Asaya said the payments cannot be effected before all work is re-done and complete, but also proposed that the district should employ the clerk of works to avoid such gaps in construction projects as these can support projects in direct monitoring and presentation of progress reports.
For many years, the border area neighboring Kenya has been lacking a standard health facility since Malaba Health Centre III, the only grace to locals in the area, is too small to accommodate the large number of patients that flock the centre on a daily basis.
However, the new facility has only a maternity ward and a few administration spaces yet the directive has been issued by the CAO for all health workers at the Health Center III to immediately shift to the new facility.
Samali Sabano Epiat the assistant Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) pledged deployment of more staff but also pledged that in every financial year, the district will build at-least one of the remaining blocks in a bid to make sure the health facility is complete.
At the commissioning on Thursday, the District Health Officer, Dr Okoth Obbo, pledged his commitment towards deployment of medical doctors and staff but as well monitor their performance towards service delivery in the institution.
Robina Nabumadi scovia the district Councilor representing Malaba Town Council, who represented the secretary for education and health, said the district council will do all it takes to support the health facility to it’s full operations.
Nabumadi also demanded for a transfer of the hospital in-charge who she said is always busy and out of his station since health workers had started exploiting his absence in the facility to extort money from poor patients especially those in maternity department.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner Tororo District, Yahaya Were, directed Malaba police station to offer security to the health facility and warned health workers to immediately stop extorting bribes from patients saying any health work caught in the practice will face the law.