Goli Health Centre IV relying on boda bodas, still waiting for presidential ambulance pledge

Nebbi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For nearly a decade, Goli Health Centre IV in Nebbi District has struggled with the lack of an ambulance, relying on boda bodas and private vehicles for patient referrals. Despite a 2015 pledge by President Yoweri Museveni during a wedding ceremony to provide the facility with a brand-new ambulance, no action has been taken.

Goli Health Centre IV is located in Jupangira Sub County, 21 km from Nebbi Town, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the Mahagi territory of the Eastern Ituri province. The facility has long faced transportation challenges, particularly in managing patient referrals.

In 2015, during the wedding of Alan Kajik and Evelyn Anita, the State Minister for Investment and Privatization, President Museveni pledged to provide an ambulance for the health center. However, this promise remains unfulfilled, leaving the facility without an essential service.

According to Faruk Kirunda, the Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, the President does not make direct pledges for ambulances. Instead, he directs the Minister for Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng, to allocate ambulances. “If the ambulance wasn’t delivered to the facility, then the Area Member of Parliament must follow up with the Minister of Health to ensure the ambulance is delivered,” Kirunda stated.

Dr. Jethro Okoni, the in-charge of Goli Health Centre IV, confirmed that the facility has been without an ambulance since its upgrade from Health Centre III to IV in 2015. The health center serves a catchment population of approximately 22,000, which stretches to the DR Congo border. The lack of an ambulance means that patients requiring referral must rely on boda bodas or private cars.

“We advise our patients to find private means of transport in case a referral is needed because the health center currently lacks an ambulance,” said Dr. Okoni. However, for expectant mothers and newborns, the facility advises against using boda bodas due to safety concerns.

Dr. Okoni added that each month, 10-15 mothers are referred to hospitals in Nebbi or Arua, but emergency cases, such as accidents, often require the use of an ambulance from the Nebbi District referral hospital, which incurs fuel costs depending on the distance.

Christopher Ocakowun, a patient at Goli Health Centre IV, shared the community’s frustration, highlighting the tragic consequences of poor transportation options for referrals. He noted that Goli Health Centre IV serves a large population, including parts of DR Congo and Zombo District, and an independent ambulance is urgently needed for effective service delivery.

“In case of referral, we pay a private car owner shs 30,000 for an 8-kilometer trip from Goli to Nebbi and shs 50,000 for a trip to Angal Hospital. Sometimes, if the condition is not severe, patients use boda bodas,” Ocakowun said.

Emmanuel Urombi, the District Chairman, revealed that the local authorities have written numerous letters to the State following up on the President’s pledged ambulance, but nothing has materialized. “Goli Health Centre IV serves a large population, stretching to DR Congo and parts of Zombo, with a high demand for an ambulance,” Urombi said.

Goli Health Centre IV, managed by the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB), aims to provide affordable health services to surrounding communities as mandated by the Ministry of Health. However, the lack of an ambulance continues to hinder the facility’s ability to deliver efficient and timely care.

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