Kaharo Health Centre III is struggling with a dilapidated inpatient ward, a situation that has forced male and female patients to share the same space at the facility in Kabale District.
The health centre, which was established in 1999 through collaboration between the people of Kaharo, the Government of Uganda, and support from the Government of Sweden, is now grappling with serious infrastructure challenges that have persisted for years.
The inpatient ward, which was initially designed to accommodate both male and female patients, was later partitioned to create space for staff accommodation after the facility failed to secure adequate staff housing.
Immaculate Kaboneire, the in-charge of Kaharo Health Centre III, said the shortage of staff housing and ward space has continued to undermine service delivery at the facility.
“All patients, female, male and children share a ward even when it is partitioned, there is no privacy among the in-patients on the ward,” Kaboneire said.
She added that staff members often arrive late for duty because they live far from the facility, further affecting patient care.
Kabale District Health Officer Dr. Gilbert Mateka acknowledged the infrastructure challenges affecting the facility and the wider health system, noting that plans are underway to address them.
“It’s true Kaharo Health Centre III is still struggling with infrastructure, we have plans to have the problem solved in the next financial year,” Dr. Mateka said.
The situation at Kaharo reflects broader staffing and infrastructure gaps in lower-level health facilities across the district, where inadequate accommodation and limited wards continue to strain service delivery.