As congratulatory messages continue to flood our dear Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo upon her reappointment, the soft-spoken Queen of Teso is also on her bended knees thanking His Excellency Gen. Yoweri Museveni for the trust and confidence in her after he retained her as his Second-in-Command.
Alupo, also Katakwi district woman legislator, swore to continue diligently serving her boss and the country.
“I’m deeply honoured and grateful for the trust and confidence you have bestowed upon me,” the freshly reappointed Vice President said publicly while in her home district-Katakwi.
The country’s Second Citizen, was in Katakwi yesterday to commission and hand over a mega health unit at the level of Health Center III.
Costing Shs1.2bn, this fully-fledged Koritok Health Center III in Usuk Sub-county, has been constructed with funding from Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program-UGIFT.
This health facility according to Workholic Alupo, is in line with the government’s deliberate policy of ensuring that each sub-county in the country gets a well-equipped health centre III.
Commissioning the facility amid wild cheers, Alupo advised voters to strongly embrace disease prevention services as opposed to curative.
The boots-on-the-ground Vice President also whispered to women especially those who are pregnant to fully make use of this facility to boost antenatal services.
“This facility is here for you to access all services and information needed to have safe delivery. As a government, we want both of you the mother and the baby. Therefore, seek all services here necessary to avoid antenatal complications” Alupo said in a motherly tone.
She reminded parents that the over six killer diseases including polio, measles, TB, and Tetanus among others are still there but can be avoided if mothers adhere to established antenatal procedures to save the young ones.
“No woman should be found delivering at home” she cautioned as she took a tour of the facility to check on patients therein.
Meanwhile, her message to expectant mothers was reinforced by the District Health Officer Dr. Simon Omeke who warned women against using the services of Traditional Birth Attendants-TBAs saying the government phased them out.
He asked the government to recruit more health workers to work in the various health facilities existing in the district to offer appropriate health services.
The district Chairman Godfrey Omolo welcomed the health facility saying it will help enhance immunization, antenatal care and health education services.
As for Usuk County MP Bosco Okiror, the challenge to the community now is to maximally utilize this facility through regular health check-ups to know their status.
He also appealed to the government to fully equip the facility with enough drugs and personnel for them to get adequate health services.
“Expectant mothers will no longer have to move long distances to access better health services” he noted.
LOCALS SPEAK OUT
Several people attended this function which they described as a major achievement and thanked Vice President Alupo for her continued lobbying skills.
They also used the occasion to thank Gen. Museveni for his love for Katakwi and his good working relationship with their daughter Alupo.
Amid jubilations, the locals who donned NRM t-shirts bearing Gen. Museveni’s portrait, said they are only waiting for 2026 to shower him with votes in recognition of his love towards them.
Michael Olupot a resident, said the construction of the facility is a big boost to the health sector in the district.
Agnes Amoit, a mother of four said she was going to mobilize fellow mothers to immunize their children now that services are closer and available.
“We have had incidences where some mothers die along the way to faraway facilities and others at the hands of unqualified personnel in the area due to lack of good health services. But now, this is a big boost to saving our lives and those of the babies” she noted.
The newly constructed facility is comprised of antenatal, male, female and children wards, a waiting room and staff quarters among others.
On Thursday at exactly 9:24 pm, the Head of State announced a cabinet reshuffle where he retained Maj. Jessica Alupo as the Vice President, brings smiles to the faces of people from various corners of the country and the world.
