Dokolo – On March 5, 2023, the association of Lango District Chairpersons and City Mayor’s Forum wrote to the Ministry of Health with a recommendation and request to government to allocate funds and to upgrade Amolatar health center IV to a general hospital as the “first priority for Lango region”.
The document signed by the nine district chairpersons and one City Mayor under the leadership of Dickens Kennedy Odongo, the LC5 Alebtong district was received by the office of the minister of health Jane Ruth Aceng on April 17, 2023.
However, some locals in the subregion are not contented with the association’s “first priority for Lango.”
Susan Betty Akello who deals in local Breuer in Apac district said Lango leaders should tell government about effective development of an industrial park to curb the problem of unemployment in the region.
Alex Owera, the representative of Agwata town council at the district council of Dokolo condemned the move saying it is a blind one.
Owera said health is needed by everyone and if the association members were wise enough, they should have requested for elevation of all districts without general hospital status like; Amolatar, Dokolo, Kwania, Otuke, Kole, Oyam and Alebtong but not only one district.
He blames the association members for endorsing the elevation of only one health facility to a general hospital without consultation adding that Lango should use the opportunity when their very own Jane Ruth Aceng is still heading the health ministry.
Samuel Ocen a welder in Lira city but a resident of Dokolo district says the association should have prioritized effective connection of Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in Lango districts to stop continuous power blackout that sometimes results in death of innocent people in hospitals (theater).
One of the farmer group chairpersons in Oyam district who preferred not to be named said that the association members were supposed to ask government to put irrigation systems in all parishes to avert the effect of climate change which is affecting farmers.
Meanwhile the President of Transformers Cadre Association Uganda (TCAU) Felix Adupa Ongwech also the former Parliamentary contestant for Kyoga constituency in Amolatar district when contacted says the endorsement is of goodwill to the people of Amolatar.
According to Adupa, it’s only Amolatar district in Lango sub-region that is not near any government general hospital which handles referral matters adding that after achieving the goal, government will have to work on the poor road network to Amolatar and make sure there is power stability.
Adupa stated that the move to elevate the facility was one of his major manifestos during the 2021 campaign and if God had given him a chance to Parliament by now he would be lobbying in the Committee of Health.
Ambrose Ogwang the former Dokolo district chairperson contestant called upon leaders to unlock poor customer satisfaction in the health department saying the ministry is working very hard to come out with new things like research but those in charge are not telling the local community.
Ogwang added that there is a need to prioritize breakthrough areas and reduce waiting time by patients in health facilities.
