Kabale CAO delivers on his promise to improve maternal health care

14th July 2011

Kabale CAO [second right] during the handover 
of the delivery kit and other medical supplies
 to Kagalama Health Center II

On 14th July 2011, the Kabale Chief Administrative Officer and some officials from the district health department delivered maternal health care equipment to the Kagarama Health center II. This happened months after the chief Administrative Officer issued a directive that required the In-charge at the health center to transform one of the spare rooms into a maternity ward that will be equipped with maternal health care facilities. He issued this directive during an interface meeting held in April, 2011 between community members and their leaders to engage on matters affecting the community.



This was a great achievement to the Kagarama budget clubs members because when they started monitoring service delivery at this health center, the situation of child delivery was found to be lacking. Kyomugisha Immaculate a midwife at Kagarama Health Center II informed the club members during their first monitoring visit in 2010 that the center lacked a maternity ward and the necessary equipment and as a result they only provided antenatal and postnatal services to the women. According to her, this was forcing many expectant women to resort to risky alternatives like traditional birth attendants and delivering at home.

So many changes have been witnessed at this health center and the village budget club members attribute most of them to their monitoring work. “To begin with, we demanded for posting of an in-charge to this health center and increasing of the working hours, which had been reduced to half day. These were resolved with immediate effect by the Sub county Chief. We then started demanding for maternal health care equipment and I am extremely delighted that now we have received this equipment, due to the alertness of the Kabale Chief Administrative Officer”.

Village budget club members with support from Forum for Women in Democracy organize quarterly interface meetings and together with the wider community engage the district leadership on the findings of their monitoring work in education, health, agriculture and other areas. This has made the leaders and other technical people including teachers, healthcare personnel more dutiful towards their work in schools, health centers etc…, because during the interface meeting they are answer for any irregularities found out by the village budget club members. The interface meetings have strengthened the rapport between community and leaders, and boosted the confidence of community members to make their leaders accountable.

Florence Tumuheirwe, the field officer of Forum for Women in Democracy who over sees the work of the village budget clubs acknowledges that, the club has caused so many changes in health centers, schools, agriculture and she attributes these achievements to a supportive district leadership and a vigilant community. It is hoped that with such attributes, the health center will be in position to provide adequate maternal health care services to members of this community.

By Carol Namagembe, Communications Officer FOWODE