By Michael Atwakiire
Sheema: The management of Kabwohe Health Centre IV in Sheema municipality on January 27, 2020 rejected financial support of Shs12.5M and a scan from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, alleging that the officials who had donated didn’t go through the right channels.
Drama unfolded at around noon, when former Sheema municipality FDC Member of Parliament contestant Virginia Plan Mugyenyi reached Kabwohe Health Centre IV to fulfill a pledge she made during the 2018 by election campaigns, of buying a scan which helps in checking pregnant women, plus Shs12.5M, which was to buy mattresses for patients.
However, Dr Davis Asiimwe the Health Centre In-charge rejected the offer, saying that Mugyenyi didn’t go through right procedures to deliver the donations.
Mugyenyi said that “I had come to support our own health centre because we know there are so many things lacking here and one of the things I thought was a priority is a scan, since the facility lacks one yet it has a maternity ward. I mobilized and solicited money from my friends; the scanner is worth Shs15M, but unfortunately the In-charge has rejcted it, claiming that I must use other channels.”
She added that “I’m so disappointed to see our mothers and sisters being neglected, denied services when actually there other opportunities through which we can help our people.”
The FDC stalwart also noted that “Remember pregnant women are sent to Mbarara, Kitagata, Ishaka or to private health centres for scanning because the health centre doesn’t have a scan. I requested them to accept the cheque of Shs12.5M to buy mattresses but still they rejected it. Now I don’t know what to do.”
Felix Mujuni, a resident from Sheema North whom we found at the Health Centre said that “That one is automatic; when I heard that Virginia was bringing support here , I knew they wouldn’t accept it because all pregnant women here who need a scan are advised to go to BMC hospital [minister Elioda’s private hospital in Kabwohe] for the better services. “
He added that; “Remember there are charges that come with services there, which means our own minister Tumwesigye is gaining too much from the absence of the scan at this government health centre. Therefore, Virginia bringing here a scan was going to be an automatic loss for the minister.”
However, this wasn’t the first time Kabwohe Health Centre IV was rejecting Mugyenyi’s support. Last year she wanted to build toilets for the facility because patients were easing themselves from a nearby bush but still she was stopped by management.
