1
changing lives of women in Teso NEW VISION, Monday, April 25, 2016 51 T he Staying Alive project was also able to undertake major renovations of a theatre that was in a sorry state at Serere Health Centre IV in Serere district with funding from Amref Netherlands and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lilian Kamanzi Mugisha, the acting communications and fundraising manager of Amref says through their Staying Alive Project, they were able to renovate a modern theatre at Serere Health centre IV that was handed over to the health centre authorities and the district officials on March 10. The theatre repair cost over sh40m and residents witnessed the handover. The medical personal were relieved of the looming fear of death to patients who needed surgery. Dr Daniel Ogwal in charge of the health centre said, Serere Health Centre IV is the major referral in the district, and it offers so many activities including emergency obstetric care (EmOC) (care of women and new-borns during pregnancy, delivery and after delivery) and other health care emergencies the theatre is a major necessity. Ogwal explained that due to the poor condition of the theatre, they were almost giving up with operations especially EmOC. “The ceiling was almost collapsing which put the patients and the surgeons at a high risk. The theatre had no operating lights making operations at night a huge challenge the medical personal had to improvise with substandard lighting but lives had to be saved. Cleaning the floor was challenge, as it was all cracked, even after operations, blood would clog in the cracks. Of course, this was unhygienic and it put our own health at risk,” Ogwal explained. Dr Ogwal felt that the dilapidated state of the theatre then, lead to especially expectant mothers seeking other means of treatment and delivery or retired home and waited for fate to take its turn leading to high mortality rates among mothers caused due to complications at childbirth, such as excessive bleeding, hypertension and infection. “We could refer most emergency operations to Soroti Regional Referral hospital which is about 50km away and unaffordable to the poor and rural patients of Serere. We are happy that we are now going to resume our services to the people in a modern theatre. My call to the patients is to seek professional medical care, to the mothers we are assure them that we can fully provide caesarian section and emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services our theatre is in good condition,” Ogwal stressed. THEATRE RENOVATION Lilian Kamanzi of Amref handing over the renovated theatre to the Serere district officials. The theatre will attract mothers to the centre Some of the women selling vegetables with the capital they got from the SACCOs One of the social audit meetings at the health centre enquiring about service delivery He adds that so far 10 survivor groups are fully registered with the districts where Amref is implementing this project; practising the village credit and saving scheme. “Under this scheme, group members pay agreed subscription and registration fees. This is pooled together and lent to members, who then return it with an agreed interest. Borrowing is done in a rotational manner,” he stresses. Echeru, who is also the chairperson of one of the groups says she has received sh50,000 from the SACCOs, which she used to reinstate her sugar cane business that had collapsed because of the fistula condition she suffered. “I always buy sugar cane worth sh30,000 and the rest I pay for rent and transport to the market. After my day’s sales, I always save sh15, 000 as my profit, I take sh5,000 back to the SACCOs every Thursday when we meet,” she explains. From the sugarcane business, she has managed to buy three goats, pay fees for her children and support her husband. “After the fistula surgery, my husband came back to me and now we work together, thanks to Amref Health Africa support and guidance,” Echeru says. Social Audit Dr Patrick Kagurusi the programme manager Maternal and Child Health at Amref Health Africa said the project was the first of its kind and it is a recommended practice by most of the funding agencies. Through the Staying Alive project, Community Social Audits (CSA) of health facilities by community members was formed in Serere, Soroti and Katakwi districts. “Through CSA, community members understand the administrative and operating system of the health facilities and their internal dynamics and this is through dialogue meetings between community members and the facility staff,” Ssebuyira explains The community demands transparency and accountability from the health facility staff in the meetings, which are effectively conducted by community based organisation (CBOs). The CBOs are trained and facilitated by Amref Health Africa. The objectives of these social audits, according to Ssebuyira, are to mobilise communities to demand action from duty holders (health centre staff), to improve service delivery in selected areas through development of action plans with health facility staff and community members to be in harmony with the health workers for better service provision. As the Staying Alive project comes to an end, Amref Health Africa with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been able to prevent 740 new-born deaths (135 neonatal, 112 pre-matures, 593 HIV+ women enrolled on e-MTCT); improve access to sexual reproductive health services with four youth corners established and 13,682 youths directly reached; improve reproductive maternal, newborn and child health services reaching 80,941 women of child bearing age and fistula repair services for over 269 women in the districts of Soroti, Serere and Katakwi. Ten women enterprising groups have also been set up across the three districts. Amref Health Africa calls upon the health ministry, local government and other stakeholders to continue providing management and leadership in order to sustain these gains. To the local communities, their plea is to always seek professional medical support in order to change lives for lasting health. Amref Health Africa in Uganda through the Staying Alive Project did procure some medical equipment that were distributed to given health facilities in the districts of Soroti, Serere and Katakwi health facilities to close the gap in medical equipment. During this time, Amref Health Africa has provided and equipped a number of health facilities in Soroti, Serere and Katakwi, with medical equipment including mattresses, maternity equipment, baby resuscitation equipment, incubator machines for babies born prematurely and operating theatre equipment. A number of health workers in these facilities also received trainings to develop their skills in provision of maternal, neonatal and child health services. ADVERTORIAL
