Authorities in Kanungu District have launched construction of a Shs6.7 billion multi-purpose health complex at Kihihi Health Centre IV, in a move expected to expand maternal healthcare services and ease congestion at the facility.
The groundbreaking and site handover ceremony was held on Thursday, with the project funded by the government through the Ministry of Health in partnership with Kanungu District Local Government.
The construction will be undertaken by the UPDF Engineering Brigade.
Located near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kihihi Health Centre IV receives between 280 and 300 patients daily, according to the project site handover documents.
The high patient numbers, including patients from across the border, have increased pressure on the existing infrastructure and created the need for expansion.
The Ministry of Health has so far released Shs400 million to the UPDF Engineering Brigade, while the district has secured another Shs200 million to facilitate initial works and mobilisation. District authorities are processing documentation to secure the remaining funds.
The facility will be constructed on vacant land within the health centre compound, covering approximately 3,530 square metres.
The project is intended to increase maternity bed capacity, provide modern delivery, postnatal and neonatal care facilities, improve infection prevention and control, and provide a better working environment for health workers.
James Kaberuka Ruugi, the Kinkiizi West MP who officiated at the ceremony, said the high patient load at the health centre, particularly among expectant mothers from Kihihi Town Council, neighbouring sub-counties and the DRC, made the expansion necessary.
He also called for increased health education to help communities understand diseases, how they are transmitted and ways of preventing them.
Kaberuka urged residents to actively participate in government projects to promote transparency and prevent misconceptions and misinformation.
He also donated a 32-inch Hisense LED television to the health centre to provide entertainment for patients and caretakers in the waiting area.
Kanungu District Vice Chairperson Joshua Rukundo commended Kaberuka for following up on the project but challenged him to continue lobbying the Ministry of Health for the remaining funds.
Rukundo also urged residents to avoid excessive alcohol consumption and reckless road use, particularly among boda boda riders, saying the practices contribute to deaths among young people.
Captain Yunus Ntegeka, the UPDF Engineering Brigade project manager, presented the approved architectural and structural drawings to district leaders and pledged that the brigade would deliver quality work in accordance with Ministry of Health standards.
He, however, asked the district and Ministry of Health to expedite the release of the remaining funds to prevent delays or stoppages during construction.
Kanungu Chief Administrative Officer Awuye Abdullah commended the government for funding the project and pledged the district’s support towards its implementation.
Awuye said the district had already secured Shs200 million for mobilisation, while Shs400 million had been released to the UPDF Engineering Brigade.
He said the district technical team would expedite the necessary documentation to support efforts to secure the remaining funds.
Kihihi Town Council Mayor Rogers Tumwesigye welcomed the project and urged local leaders, including councillors and members of the Health Unit Management Committee, to closely monitor the construction to ensure accountability, transparency and value for money.
Kanungu District Health Officer Canon Dr Birungi Mutahunga described the project as timely, saying only 67 per cent of women in the district currently access maternal healthcare services.
He said the new complex would improve access to maternal health services, decongest the facility and contribute to reducing maternal and neonatal deaths.
The proposed complex will have two floors.
The ground floor will comprise postnatal, prenatal, premature and pre-eclampsia wards, a labour ward, two delivery rooms, two surgical theatres, female and private wards, a midwife’s duty room, staff duty stations, a doctor’s examination room and sanitary facilities.
The first floor will include a paediatric ward, male ward, laboratory, drug dispensing room, treatment room, night duty room, examination room, private wing rooms, doctors’ offices and sanitary facilities.
Twongyeirwe Mwajuma Twaha Adams, the Kanungu District Local Government communications officer, said the complex, once completed, would significantly expand maternal health services and improve healthcare delivery in Kanungu and the wider Kigezi region.
