Karita Health Centre IV in Amudat District has received theatre equipment worth ninety- five milion shillings for its newly renovated maternal theatre ward, a development expected to improve access to emergency obstetric services and reduce maternal and infant deaths in the cross-border region. The health facility serves an estimated 40,000 people from Amudat and Nakapiripirit districts, as well as neighbouring communities in Kenya. For years, it struggled to provide surgical services due to a dilapidated theatre and a lack of essential medical equipment.
With support from development partners, Doctors with Africa CUAMM renovated the theatre, while Stanbic Bank donated equipment to operationalize the facility. The renovated theatre and equipment were commissioned on Friday by the Ministry of Health Commissioner for Reproductive and Child Health, Dr. Richard Mugahi.Diana Ondoga, Stanbic Bank’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, said the donation forms part of the bank’s celebrations marking 35 years of operations in Uganda.
She said the investment is intended to improve access to safe motherhood services and strengthen healthcare delivery in the region.“We are opening doors to safe motherhood, improving healthcare outcomes, and renewing hope for people in the region who are currently facing difficulties in accessing comprehensive maternal services,” Ondoga said. She noted that long distances to health facilities, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of specialized maternal health services have continued to hinder expectant mothers from accessing quality care.
Ondoga expressed optimism that the new theatre would bring life-saving maternal and surgical services closer to the community, helping reduce preventable maternal and infant deaths while improving the quality of healthcare. She added that Stanbic Bank believes sustainable economic growth depends on healthy communities.“Healthcare is not just a social service; it is a foundation for human development, productivity, and prosperity,” she said.
Ondoga said the bank’s contribution is part of its broader efforts to strengthen healthcare systems in underserved communities in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
She also commended Doctors with Africa CUAMM and the Amudat District Local Government for implementing the project. Stanbic Bank’s support falls under its healthcare pillar, one of five strategic areas that guide its corporate social investment programme alongside enterprise development and job creation, infrastructure development, access to finance, climate resilience, and corporate philanthropy.//Cue in: “For many expectant…”Cue out: “…productivity and prosperity.”//Dr. George Ogwang, the Officer-in-Charge of Karita Health Centre IV, said the facility has long faced infrastructure and equipment shortages.
Although the facility was upgraded to a Health Centre IV, he said it could not function effectively as a surgical centre because it lacked blood transfusion and theatre services. “We later operationalized it, but the problem was the theatre ward, which was in a dilapidated state,” Ogwang said. He explained that after engaging development partners, the theatre was renovated and is now fully equipped to provide emergency maternal and surgical services.
Ogwang thanked Stanbic Bank for donating the equipment, noting that it would significantly improve maternal and newborn survival. He observed that Moroto Regional Referral Hospital is approximately 200 kilometres away, making emergency referrals costly and time-consuming.“With the availability of infant warmers and oxygen, we will greatly reduce mortality rates,” he said.
Amudat District Acting District Health Officer Andrew Munerya said mothers requiring emergency obstetric or surgical care previously had to travel long distances to access treatment. “Our referrals would always be Amudat Hospital, about 70 kilometres away, or Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, 200 kilometres away, at a cost to the patient,” Munerya said.
He explained that many conditions could have been managed at Karita Health Centre IV if the facility had been adequately equipped.“The lack of equipment and a functional theatre contributed to the loss of many lives,” he added. Munerya said the upgraded theatre is now capable of providing safe, timely, and quality surgical services.
Peter Lochoro, Country Director of Doctors with Africa CUAMM, called on the Ministry of Health and development partners to intensify efforts to strengthen healthcare services across the Karamoja sub-region. He identified poor access to health services as one of the region’s biggest challenges, citing its vast geographical coverage and scattered population.
Lochoro said Amudat remains one of the most underserved districts in the country. According to 2024 health statistics, only 71 percent of pregnant women in Amudat attended antenatal care, compared to almost universal coverage in other regions. Only 45 percent of deliveries occurred in health facilities, while the caesarean section rate stood at just 2.6 percent, below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum level.
He noted that although Karita Health Centre IV had received significant investment over the years, it had been unable to provide quality services until the theatre was renovated and fully equipped. Lochoro urged district leaders to ensure the facility is properly maintained to guarantee sustainable service delivery.
Commissioning the facility, Dr. Richard Mugahi said the Ministry of Health is working with Doctors with Africa CUAMM to establish a regional blood bank in Moroto to serve the entire Karamoja sub-region. He said the blood bank will help address persistent shortages that have affected emergency maternal and surgical care. Mugahi also pledged that the Ministry would upgrade Loroo Health Centre III to Health Centre IV status and provide Amudat District with an additional ambulance to strengthen emergency referrals-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
