Patients, dead bodies share wards at Buliisa Health Facilities

By Pascal Onega

Buliisa: Patients at Biiso Health Centre IV and Buliisa Health Centre located in Biiso Town Council and Buliisa Town Council, respectively, share beds with dead bodies due to the lack of mortuaries.

This was disclosed by Dr. Peter Otim, the Biiso Health Center IV In-Charge, during an exclusive interview with this publication on Friday.

Dr. Otim said that despite the facility being partially fenced, they are also facing the challenge of a mortuary and an ambulance.

He noted that there is a need for the construction of the mortuary, stressing that currently patients and dead bodies share the same wards.

‘’Despite the facility being partially fenced, we are still facing the challenge of an ambulance and mortuary. Apparently, dead bodies are left on the admission beds in the same ward shared by the patients since we don’t have a mortuary,’’ he explained.

Dr. Mugabe Robert, the District Health Educator (DHE) Buliisa, confirmed that currently Buliisa Health Centre IV and Biiso Health Centre IV don’t have mortuaries, but the district has one operational mortuary at Buliisa General Hospital.

Mugabe disclosed that they first prioritized the construction of staff quarters in some of the health centers to improve service delivery, noting that some health workers were residing outside the health facility premises, reporting late for work, thus affecting service delivery.

He clarified, however, that the construction of mortuaries in these health facilities is part of their five-year plan, but currently, police convey the corpses to Buliisa General Hospital.

Mr. Ukura Jonan, an activist, stresses that the government, through the Ministry of Health, should prioritize the construction of mortuaries at the above health facilities for better service delivery.

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