Nebbi Municipality Member of Parliament Emmanuel Ongiertho has pledged to prioritise healthcare after raising concern over the absence of lower-level public health facilities within the municipality's divisions.
The municipality has Nebbi General Hospital, which is managed by the central government.
Ongiertho said while Nebbi General Hospital serves residents within the municipality and surrounding areas, the lack of health centres within Abindu, Thatha and Central divisions has made it difficult for many residents to access basic and routine healthcare services closer to their homes.
He said residents, especially those in Abindu and Thatha divisions, are often forced to travel long distances to Nebbi General Hospital or facilities in neighbouring sub-counties for services that could be provided at lower-level health units.
According to the MP, the gap has contributed to delayed treatment, increased transport costs and reduced access to maternal and child health services.
"Right now, a health facility is a major concern for me. If the people of Nebbi are serious about education, then two schools can cover the population, but in health we have no single facility (within the municipal divisions), and that is a big challenge," Ongiertho said.
He said Abindu and Thatha divisions are the most affected because of their distance from available health facilities.
"If eventually the ministry decides to allocate for us one health centre, then we shall come back to the local authorities to choose between the two divisions. I don't want it to be my choice but the people's choice," he said.
Despite efforts by Nebbi Municipal Council to secure land in Abindu and Thatha divisions and recruit about 53 health workers, plans to establish municipal health facilities have not yet materialised.
Deputy Mayor and Leader of Government Business Musa Howard said since Nebbi attained municipal status in 2017, the council has consistently engaged the Ministry of Health over the need to establish health units within the municipality.
He said the council has available titled land but has not received approval to establish new government health facilities.
"We have been particular about improving our healthcare system as a council. Our people have been spending hard-earned money to seek healthcare far from their locations, which is contrary to the government requirement of having a health unit within a five-kilometre radius," Howard said.
He said some divisions had taken temporary measures by renting private spaces as they await government support.
"At Thatha Division, the council rented a private space to set up a Health Centre III, while Abindu had already secured land. As a council, we had also recruited medical workers, but the ministry said it was not setting up new facilities but only upgrading existing ones, which we did not have," Howard said.
The absence of lower-level health units has affected access to sexual and reproductive health services, including management of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy interventions, immunisation and other primary healthcare programmes.
Health workers have consequently relied on community outreaches, including door-to-door approaches, to deliver some services.
State Minister for Health in charge of Primary Health Care Dr Charles Ayume said Nebbi Municipality benefits from having Nebbi General Hospital within its boundaries, although he acknowledged the need for additional lower-level health facilities to improve access.
"Where there is a general hospital, it takes over everything. It becomes a Health Centre II, III and IV because all the services are there. It is like in the forces where when the President is coming, special forces takes over everything," Ayume said.
He, however, said government faces financial constraints and cannot immediately establish health facilities in every area requiring them.
"We have districts with 28 sub-counties but only 18 have health centres. So we shall move slowly until we get there," Ayume said.
He said upgrading Erussi and Parombo Health Centre IIIs into Health Centre IVs would help decongest Nebbi General Hospital and should be prioritised.
A recent report presented to district leaders on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) indicated worrying trends in the district, including rising cases of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies, child motherhood and new HIV infections.
Nebbi District has a population of 308,081 people spread across 16 sub-counties, 69 parishes and 639 villages.
The district has one government hospital — Nebbi General Hospital — which is under central government management, while lower-level government health services remain limited. The district also relies on private not-for-profit facilities such as Goli Health Centre IV and Angal Hospital.
Of the 16 sub-counties, only eight have Health Centre IIIs, while there are only 11 Health Centre IIs serving 69 parishes, a situation health experts describe as a major healthcare gap.
