Expectant Mothers Share Ward With TB Patients in Karugutu

http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=59315

Expectant mothers at Karugutu Health Centre III in Ntoroko district are sharing a ward with patients suffering from Tuberculosis (TB).

Karugutu Health Centre III located in Karugutu town council is a major health facility which serves residents from Nombe and Itoojo sub counties. The health centre has one general admission ward and a TB ward.

When Uganda Radio Network reporter visited the facility, they were more than 10 expectant mothers and TB patients in the same ward.

Boaz Mugabe, one of the visitor’s taking care of his pregnant wife, fears that the arrangement will expose them to TB infections.

//Cue in: “there are no wards…
Cue out: “…we need health services.”//

Faith Businge, one of the expectant mothers at the facility claims to have no option but to remain the ward because she cannot afford health costs in distant private health centers.

Benjamin Katusabe, the in charge of the health center says the lone maternity ward they had was closed because it was dilapidated. He adds that the other maternity wards are too congested to be used by the pregnant women.

In a bid to reduce on TB patients in the ward, some patients are given drugs and sent back home, while those who are in a bad state are left to share the same ward with the pregnant women, Katusabe says. There are also plans to refer them to Fort Portal and Bundibugyo referral hospitals, he adds.

However, Sam Mugulusi, the Ntoroko district TB focal person says that he has petitioned the district to remove the pregnant mothers from the TB ward. He says that some TB patients are being deprived of treatment because the ward is congested.

According to Katusabe, the health centre plans to construct more wards, but they are constrained by lack of adequate funds, since the Health Center receives 795,000 shillings per quarter from Central government which is too little for constructing new wards.

Richard Irumba, the acting Ntoroko District Health Officer says that they have written to the Ministry of Health to contribute funds for construction of the wards.