Daily MONITOR NOVEMBER 1 ,2011
Gulu Regional Referral Hospital is facing a shortage of houses for health workers and their families. Many of the available houses are single rooms which cannot accommodate families of the health workers. This has forced many of them to build makeshift structures like the one below to accommodate their families. PHOTO BY CISSY MAKUMBI
Arua Regional Referral Hospital and police headquarters face closure over poor hygiene due to filled up pit-latrines.
Both government institutions have received warning letters from the municipal health department, directing them to immediately find solutions to the problem, especially the inadequate provision of toilets, which now puts thousands of lives at risk in case of an outbreak of epidemic.
The municipal health officer, Dr Paul Onzubo, said over the weekend: “We may close Arua Hospital and the Central Police Station until those nuisances are addressed. The one for the police is actually worse. Besides we are acting within the law.”
The two institutions have few pit latrines which are poorly maintained.
The two institutions have few pit latrines which are poorly maintained.
The Hospital Director, Dr Bernard Odu, said: “Whereas the municipal council is saying they will close the hospital, they are actually doing their work. But I am frustrated by the finance and other factors like the lagoon that has been blocked by the neighboring communities,” he said.
The hospital that has close to 500 in-patients, has only seven pit-latrines with some already filled up.
“We will need over Shs10 million after every two months to construct new VIP latrines which money we do not have. But we are all interested in seeing that we have a clean environment and municipality,” Dr Odu said.
A patient attendant, Ms Celina Draru, said: “People queue for toilets and to make matters worse, it is even filled up so during rain, you find maggots all over the floor.”
The situation has been compounded by a court injunction secured by people living near the hospital, blocking the construction of a sewage lagoon. The residents claim the lagoon could pose a health risk to them.
wokello@ug.nationmedia.com
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