Resting on expansive land with fresh air blowing through the lash green gardens, two old and lonely buildings stood as the defining feature for Hima Health Centre III in Hima town, Kasese District.
The health centre, which serves a population of over 20,000 in and around Hima, was crippling with congestion. Patients come from Hima, Kyabuhindira, Kyamusandara, Kichwamba and Bunyangabo.
Patients who couldn’t stand the long lines opted out and brazed the 30-kilometre journey to Kilembe or Kasese town for alternative medical care at bigger health centres. For example, the hospital is not equipped to diagnose and manage the killer disease, Tuberculosis. Yet it is on a steady increase and threatens the lives of millions.
Over 40 mothers check into the hospital every month for delivery. The hospital took a bold decision to accommodate only expectant mothers because of space constraints. The rest, with varying ailments, were referred to other health centres for management.
Today, a new block stands tall at the health centre ready to usher in patients who say they have been incurring heavy expenses and losing a lot of time traveling to Kasese for treatment. Hima Cement has built a new General Ward at the health centre. The ward, worth Shs 260 million, will help to ease access to medical services for the people of Hima and the wider Kasese community.
Hima Cement CEO Mr. Nicolas George said that this project is part of Hima Cement Corporate Social Responsibility to the communities where the company operates. He said that the communities have given Hima Cement the limestone to make cement but also an opportunity to create thousands of jobs and employ people in Kasese, Kampala and across the country.
“The least we can do is to give back to the community where we work. We will continue to contribute as much as we can in health, education and environment protection, which are key focus areas.”
He said this during the handover of the health centre to the community members and management of Hima Health Centre III in Kasese on 24th September.
Dr Manasseh Baluku, the in charge at Hima Health Centre III says while the hospital has enough staff to handle and manage patients, they do not have the equipment to diagnose many cases.
With a new facility in place, he says government should construct a theatre.
“It will be unfortunate to have all these facilities when we don’t put them to use. Now that we have a newly constructed ward, we call upon government to construct a theatre. We need to give our people proper services. You have put up this structure and we promise it will not remain empty. We have reached out to Ministry of Health to have it operationalized,” said Dr Baluku.
