In a move to enhance healthcare delivery in Lira City, Assistant Resident City Commissioners (ARCCs) Bonny Otucu and Okello Bonny Alele embarked on a monitoring mission to assess the services and challenges faced by local health centres in the City. Their first stop was Ngetta Health Centre III, where they arrived at 9:30 am to find patients already receiving care from nurses with lots of joy.
The duo met with Sr. Gabriela Oroma, the facility’s in-charge, who warmly welcomed them and took them through the various departments and services offered, including immunization, ART, and ANC. While the facility was well-organized and clean, the team discovered that it had missed its Results-Based Funding (RBF) for five quarters. This issue was previously reported and acknowledged by the facility in a letter to the Mayor of Lira City dated 13th September, 2024.
The serious concern noted was the missed RBF funding for the following financial years and quarters;
- FY 2020/2021 Q3: 7,214,220 (7,010,000 paid but bounced back to Ministry of Health)
- FY 2020/2021 Q4: 13,806,000
- FY 2021/2022 Q1: 12,499,500
- FY 2021/2022 Q2: 8,303,880
- FY 2021/2022 Q3: 8,868,600
Otucu and Alele committed to following up with Principal Medical Officer, Lira City Dr. Bernard Otucu and City Council so that they can clarify and address these issues as soon as possible. Besides the missed RBF, the facility faces other challenges like toilet Facilities which is in dire need of improvement. Another notable challenge was insecurity where thieves are terrorizing the hospital and community.
The commissioners assured the facility that they would work with the Community Liaison Officer of CPS Central to convene a security meeting and implement community policing to address these concerns. Early this week, through a community meeting which was convened by the local leaders, about 8 boys were arrested around St. Paul in Ngetta for waylaying moving trucks and offloading goods. They are still in detention at Ojwina Police Headquarters in City West Division.
The ARCCs’ interacted with patients who were filled with joy and happy with the services being offered to him. They pledged Government’s committments in Health through Ministry of Health under the stewardship of Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero who is very patient about health service delivery. The monitoring mission demonstrates their dedication to improving healthcare in Lira City. By identifying and addressing challenges, they aim to ensure that residents receive quality care.
