The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has inaugurated the Bukedea Teaching Hospital, aiming to provide specialized medical services in close proximity to the local population. The hospital, situated in Bukedea District, is set to commence patient services from Monday, January 15.
During her tour of the hospital premises in Bukedea Sub-County on Sunday, January 14, Speaker Among, who also holds the role of hospital director, emphasized the facility’s readiness to cater to both outpatients and inpatients. Notably, the hospital is committed to offering free maternal services for normal deliveries, while other specialized healthcare services will be provided at highly subsidized rates.
“Our women will also receive free mama kits. The hospital administrator will provide a detailed bill for the delivered mother, and we will settle the payment directly into the hospital account,” stated Speaker Among.
Addressing the newly recruited healthcare professionals, Among urged them to approach their duties with diligence and courtesy. She emphasized the importance of treating patients with respect and humility, asserting that a compassionate approach is integral to the healing process.
The hospital, situated in Bukedea Town Council, approximately 33 kilometers along the Mbale-Kumi highway, will not only offer specialized and general treatment for various health conditions but also host a medical school. Speaker Among’s decision to establish this facility stems from the existing healthcare gaps in Bukedea, where the highest-ranking health facility is a government health center IV serving nearly 300,000 people.
In the district, eight government health centers III and IIs support the Bukedea Health Centre IV. However, challenges such as drug stockouts, limited staff, poor infrastructure, and insufficient equipment have hindered the effective delivery of medical services. Consequently, residents have been compelled to undertake long journeys in search of better healthcare.
The local populace has expressed gratitude to Speaker Among, also the district woman MP, for her focus on addressing the health needs of the people while bringing crucial investments to the region. Eng. Moses Magogo, one of the directors and also the representative of Budiope East County in the NRM, emphasized that despite the hospital being a private enterprise, its primary purpose is to fill healthcare gaps for the local community.
Magogo encouraged the medical staff, stating, “Tomorrow, let us start, let it be a historic day in the history of this institute. You have all the support, and I am sure we are going to save lives. We are serving our voters, so we must serve them diligently.”
The official commissioning of the hospital is scheduled for a later date, expected by the end of January 2024, once all civil works are completed. The fully-fledged health facility boasts a well-equipped emergency unit, laboratory, X-ray, theatre, maternity ward, and other general wards.
