The Government health facilities in Oyam district are facing a challenge of staff shortages which are mostly crippling health centers lll that serve large populations.
Betty Owani, the secretary for health of oyam district local government says health workers are facing challenges at the facilities because their numbers are low.
She says the problem has mostly affected in health centers lll like Otwal HC lll, Loro HC lll, Ngai HC lll , Ariba HC lll, Iceme HC lll, and Mianakulu HC lll.
Grace Amony who is in charge of Ariba Health Center lll in Abok Sub-county, Oyam District, says their staff are not enough and so the facility cannot give adequate service at the right time.
Amony says in Ariba HCIII, there are only 08 health workers, that is 02 midwives and 06 health workers at the Outpatient department, to give medical treatment to 150 people at the facility in a day.
She says wards for admission are not enough they have only a small maternity section pregnant mother’s going for antenatal care and for delivery. In a day 25 to 50 pregnant mothers are handled for antenatal care alone.
Meanwhile in Minakulu HCIII in Minakulu town council, one of the health workers who prefers not to be name says the capacity of ward is strained as they handle more than 100 patients in a day.
John Goodten Ogwang the vice chairperson of Oyam district says at district level is now aware of the challenges at health facilities.
He says last month Oyam district local government recruited more health workers and soon they will be given appointment letters to go and start their work at different facilities.