Patients share wards at Awere HCIV amid acute infrastructure shortage

Pader: Health workers at Awere Health Centre IV in Awere Sub- County, Pader District, are grappling with a severe shortage of ward space, forcing children, adults, men, and women to share the same inpatient ward despite concerns over infection risks and patient privacy.

The situation has raised alarm among health workers, who say the lack of designated maternity and general wards is exposing patients to the risk of contracting additional illnesses while receiving treatment.

The Ministry of Health elevated Awere Health Centre III to Health Centre IV status during the 2023/2024 financial year, a move aimed at improving access to advanced healthcare services in the area.

Since then, the government has commenced construction of a modern operating theater, which is now estimated to be about 70 percent complete, and has deployed a senior medical officer to the facility.

However, critical infrastructure required for a fully functional Health Center IV remains absent.

According to Jacqueline Akello Okot, the officer in charge of the facility, the health center lacks adequate wards and beds to accommodate the growing number of patients seeking care.

“We are struggling with inpatient services because we do not have enough facilities, especially wards and beds,” Akello said.

She explained that health workers have been forced to partition an existing building into small rooms that now serve as both maternity and general wards.

As a result, male and female patients, as well as children, are sharing the limited available space.

The facility has designated a small postnatal ward with only four beds. Yet, it records between five and six deliveries every day, forcing some mothers and their newborn babies to sleep on the floor due to overcrowding.

The general ward is equally strained, with only seven beds available despite receiving between six and ten admissions at any given time.

Health officials report that in a month, the facility handles between 700 and 900 patients through both outpatient and inpatient departments.

Malaria remains the leading disease burden, accounting for approximately 70 percent of cases treated at the facility.

Awere Health Centre IV serves a catchment population of more than 20,000 people.

Staffing levels also remain critically low. Although Ministry of Health standards require 128 personnel for a Health Centre IV, the facility currently operates with only 16 staff members.

These include three midwives, three enrolled nurses, one medical officer, one clinical officer, two porters, and one askari, among others.

Lt. Col. (Rtd.) Ambako Kibrai, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Mobilization attached to the RDC Secretariat in the Office of the President, urged managers of newly elevated Health Centre IV facilities not to panic, saying the government is committed to improving their infrastructure and staffing levels.

“The government has started by constructing theatres and will gradually equip the facilities with medical equipment and the required personnel,” Kibrai said.

He encouraged health facility managers to use the offices of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to submit reports directly to the President outlining their achievements, challenges, and areas where government support is needed.

Meanwhile, Pader District LCV Chairperson Alfred Akena acknowledged that the district’s 2025/2026 budget does not currently include funds for constructing a general ward at Awere Health Centre IV.

However, Akena assured residents that the district would prioritize infrastructure development at the facility following its elevation to Health Centre IV status.

He further pledged to engage development partners operating health projects in the district and advocate for Awere Health Centre IV to be considered in future health infrastructure investments.

As patient numbers continue to rise, health workers say urgent investment in wards, beds, and staffing is needed to ensure the upgraded facility can effectively meet the healthcare needs of the community it serves.

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