By Denis Opoka
Kitgum
Richard Oringa, a resident of Okidi Central Village, was excited to learn that medical workers who had abandoned Okidi Health Center III have returned to resume work.
Oringa is now saved from the several kilometers he has been trekking in search of medical care since the facility was virtually closed since early October 2023 based on witchcraft claims.
“The nearest health facility from here is Gweng-Cor Health Center II, which is close to five kilometers away, while others had to seek redress from Kitgum General Hospital which is more than 12 kilometers,’’ he GNNA.
Monica Adyero, a resident of Laraba Village, Labongo Amida West Sub-county in Kitgum district said after the medics deserted the facility, it was not roses at all.
“My husband who is a boda boda has not been having a peaceful sleep because people would call him at night to take their patients to Kitgum General Hospital. We pray that the people responsible for the “witchcraft” have mercy on the people of Okidi Parish and the neighboring places,” she said
Kitgum District Health Department records indicate that Okidi Health Center III serves between 300 and 500 patients monthly of which Oringa and Adyero are part of.
Resuming work
With frequent claims of staff suffering from strange body complications, they decided to evacuate the facility including those residing in the staff quarters.
Of the 13 employees, six employees were directly affected, which prompted the rest to develop fear for their lives and stopped working.
The situation was however saved by the intervention of the District Health Office (DHO), health workers and district chairperson who engaged the community in a series of meetings.
Despite the intervention of the six affected, only four have resumed work while the rest are still in a bad condition.
Speaking during the community meeting to welcome the health workers back to the facility after thorough engagements, Dr. Henry Otto Okello the DHO condemned the act of witchcraft which made the medical workers to abandon the health facility.
“As medical workers, we are like one family, in case anything is not right with any of us we feel the pain too, we also took an oath that the life of a patient is more important than our family members,” he said.
He tasked the community to give the medical workers support as they carry out their work diligently.
Giving them assurance
The witchcraft claims started in mid-2022, when an unidentified medical worker had his leg reportedly swollen and when a medical test was carried out, it did not reveal any positive result to a conclusion on a particular medical condition.
Since then six medical workers from the same facility have suffered the same problem.
The medics who have so far returned have been given assurance of their safety as other steps have already been undertaken to identify those who are responsible for it.
The Kitgum district chairperson Christopher Arwai Obol disclosed that the names of key suspects have already been handed over to the district officials including police for further investigation.
“The medical staff who have fallen victim have all been made to record statements at Kitgum Central police station meaning the government has also picked interest in the matter,” he said.
“Okidi Health Center III, will now closely be monitored by both the district and central government to avoid the recurrence of what led to the desertion of the health facility,’’ he revealed.
The law on witchcraft
According to Chapter 124 of the Uganda Witchcraft Act 1957, any person who practices witchcraft or who holds himself or herself out as a witch, whether on one or more occasions, commits an offense and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.
