Obongi Health Centre IV, the only referral facility in Obongi District, has received maternal health equipment and supplies worth an estimated Shs 40 million from Stanbic Bank Uganda to improve care for mothers and newborns. The donation includes 20 hospital beds, 30 mattresses, two patient monitors, and 200 Mama Kits to support deliveries and improve the quality of maternal and child healthcare services.
The support comes as the health facility grapples with staffing shortages while handling more than 1,300 deliveries annually, including hundreds of Caesarean-section procedures. Dr Sunday Tagule, the Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health, said the facility conducts approximately 1,388 deliveries each year, including 322 Caesarean sections.
He said the centre serves patients from across Obongi and neighbouring districts, including Moyo, Yumbe and Madi Okollo, placing additional pressure on its limited resources. The facility serves a population of more than 240,000 people, including refugees and host communities. Mark Ocitti Ongom, the Stanbic Uganda Holdings Chief Executive, said improving access to essential healthcare requires joint efforts by government, the private sector and communities.
“A nation’s social progress cannot be the responsibility of government alone. It depends on government providing leadership, the private sector investing responsibly, and citizens and communities playing their part,” Ocitti said during the handover over the weekend. He said the donation would strengthen the facility’s capacity to support mothers, newborns and healthcare workers.
“This is a practical investment in dignity: safer deliveries, better patient care and stronger support for the health workers who serve families every day. Every mother deserves a safe environment in which to give life, and every child deserves a healthy beginning,” he added. However, Hassan Kaps Fungaro, the Obongi County Member of Parliament, said staffing shortages remain a major challenge at the health facility, which is operating at only 32 per cent of its required staffing levels.
Fungaro said the shortage of health workers, coupled with limited access to modern medical equipment, continues to affect service delivery in the district. Eva Kwesiga Nalongo, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner of Obongi, welcomed the donation and urged health workers and administrators to ensure that the equipment is properly used to improve patient care.
“We are a vulnerable and hard-to-reach district, but with support like this from Stanbic, we stand firm that soon this young district will overcome our prevailing challenges,” Nalongo said. The donation was made under Stanbic Bank’s annual October Love Month community outreach programme, which supports community initiatives across the country. It also forms part of activities marking the bank’s 35 years of operations in Uganda. Sam Fredrick Mwogeza, Stanbic Bank Uganda Executive Director and Head of Personal and Private Banking, also attended the handover-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
