By Emmanuel Olinga
Patients seeking medical care at Akoboi Health Centre III in Katakwi District have raised serious concerns over their safety, forcing many to abandon admission to wards due to cracked walls, broken windows, open doors, and lack of security lighting at the facility.
Despite government efforts to improve health service delivery through upgrading lower health units, the state of infrastructure at Akoboi Health Centre III has left patients feeling exposed and unsafe, particularly during nighttime.
The health facility, located in Akoboi Sub-county and serving both Akoboi and neighboring Getom Sub-county, was upgraded from Health Centre II to Health Centre III last year.
t now offers essential services including inpatient care, maternity services, and general outpatient treatment. However, poor infrastructure threatens to undermine these gains.
The In-charge of Akoboi Health Centre III, Senior Nursing Officer Dorothy Asio, confirmed that patients admitted to the facility often escape from the wards in the evening hours due to fear for their safety.
“As a health facility, we admit patients, but most of them leave the wards at night because the windows are broken, the walls are cracking, and some doors do not close properly. This puts patients’ lives at risk,” Asio said.
He explained that the openness of the wards makes patients vulnerable to intruders, theft, and possible attacks, especially since parts of the compound remain dark due to lack of electricity connection to all buildings.
According to Asio, some patients decline admission altogether after seeing the condition of the wards, opting instead to return home even when their medical condition requires close monitoring.
“Patients fear for their lives. When night comes and there is darkness, open windows, and no fencing, they feel insecure. Some of them escape without informing health workers,” she noted.
Asio added that while other medical services at the facility are running relatively well, the poor state of the ward infrastructure continues to discourage inpatient care, compromising treatment outcomes.
She appealed to the government and district authorities to prioritize fencing the health facility to improve security and protect both patients and health centre property.
“Fencing would help control access, prevent theft of facility items, and enhance safety for admitted patients and staff, especially at night,” Asio said.
Beyond security concerns, the health centre is grappling with several other challenges, including inadequate accommodation space and lack of reliable piped water.
According to Asio, the water shortage affects hygiene and sanitation, particularly for expectant mothers who require clean water before and after delivery.
“Delivery mothers need sufficient water for cleanliness, but we don’t have piped water in the wards. This puts both mothers and newborns at risk,” she explained.
Electricity connectivity remains another major challenge. While some sections of the facility have power, others remain disconnected, leaving wards and surrounding areas in darkness at night.
Asio urged the government to fast-track electricity installation across all buildings at Akoboi Health Centre III to improve service delivery and security.
She revealed that the facility receives approximately Shs1.8 million in Primary Health Care (PHC) funds, which are allocated according to specific budget votes, mainly for operational and minor development needs.
“With the limited PHC funds we receive, it becomes difficult to address major infrastructure challenges like renovations, fencing, or water installation,” she said.
Residents of Akoboi and Getom sub-counties say the situation at the health centre needs urgent attention, warning that continued neglect could force communities to seek medical care from distant facilities, increasing health risks, especially for expectant mothers and critically ill patients.
As government continues to emphasize improved access to healthcare services, stakeholders in Katakwi District are calling for immediate intervention to rehabilitate Akoboi Health Centre III, ensuring safe, secure, and dignified healthcare for the community it serves.
