Community Based Monitors Prompt Namutumba District Leadership to Revamp a Health Facility

The structure that houses Kaiti Health Centre in Magada Health Centre- Namutumba District stands firm and beautiful today. It is a far cry from the previous structure that had cracked walls and floors and had proved to be a danger to surrounding communities that regularly came to access health services.

In June 2014, before this development, residents of the sub county were using the health facility irrespective of the risk that the structure posed to their lives. During this period, Community Based Monitors trained by Uganda Debt Network, a DGF partner conducted routine monitoring visits to the sub county. This was when the residents drew their attention to the challenge they were facing. In response, UDN in close collaboration with the Health Unit Management Committee facilitated an engagement meeting on health service delivery in the district. The meeting drew the participation of the District Health Officer (DHO), who was tasked to prioritise the health centre in the district budget for the FY 2014/2015. Although the DHO committed to follow up the matter, no visible action was taken and until a team of nine Community Based Monitors held a meeting with the Chief Administrative Officer and the DHO in October 2014.

In a subsequent follow up meeting held on the 4th March 2015, the local Government officials confirmed that the District Council had approved UGX 21 million to renovate Kaiti Health Centre. By October 2016, renovation of the structure was completed.