KYAKA II Settlement, Kyegegwa: The refurbishment of a maternity theatre has come as a relief to mothers and staff following the delivery of an assortment of medical equipment to Bujubuli HC III in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement. The facility was constructed by UNCHR through Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA). UNFPA contributed to the equipment with funding from the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF).  The equipment include two theatre beds, three theatre equipment trolleys, two patient bedside monitors, and two patient stretchers.

Dr. Patrick Erumuka, the In-Charge at Bujubuli HC III in Kyaka II thanked UNFPA for the support, saying that the action will greatly improve the maternal health indicators in the district.

“We usually talk about the three delays that lead to poor obstetric outcomes: (1) delay in deciding to seek appropriate medical help for professional maternal care; (2) delay to reach an appropriate health facility; and (3) in receiving adequate care when a heath facility is reached. But in Kyaka II we had a fourth delay which is the distance between the referring health centre and the referral hospital,” said Dr. Erumuka.

According to Dr. Erumuka, expectant mothers had to be transported in ambulances for referrals to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, in Kabarole district which is about 120KM from Bujubuli HC III.

He further highlights that Fort Portal hospital was overwhelmed by the high referral since the facility received referrals from not only Bujubuli HC III but also from other facilities from neighboring districts including Kyegegwa Health Center IV.

“A fully operational theater will reduce on the number of referrals and even maternal deaths due to lack of emergency obstetric care,” said Dr. Erumuka.

Serving as a community facility for the catchment area, the health center conducts 300 – 350 deliveries per month, and used to refer approximately 45 referrals to Fort Portal per month.

“The additional support from UNFPA to make the theatre fully functional is timely, it will help reduce referrals to almost 90 percent,” said Dr. Erumuka. “We are now having 3 – 5 cesarean sections per day. The number of mothers for referral in need of emergency obstetric care has greatly reduced because our doctors here can handle these cases.”

-Story by Desmond A. Ssekyewa & Judi Erongot, UNFPA Uganda.