Apeitolim Health Center II in Apeitolim sub county. Photos by Medrine Apio
Medrine Apio
Napak: Every time Margaret Nayep’s family member needs medical help, they have to trek over 50 kilometers to Apeitolim Health Center II.
“We mainly rely on herbal medicine. If there is no improvement, then we take the patient to a clinic, or drug a shop” Nayep said.
Nayep, a mother and resident of Poron Sub-County is among the hundreds of people in Napak district struggling to access health care due to long distance to health facilities.
Napak district has seven sub counties and three Town councils, with each at least 200 kilometers apart from the administrative headquarters. There are 422,771 people in the district, according to the 2014 National Housing and Population Census.
However, the district lacks a government hospital and a Health Center IV, but has 18 health facilities; including six Health Center IIs, 12 Health Center IIIs and one general hospital that belongs to Catholic Church Missionaries.
Although Poron and Lorengecora sub-counties each have a health facility, they are at least 150 kilometers away from the other.
Because of the long distance to health facilities and its associated costs, Nayep has never given birth from a health center.
Nayep is lucky that none of her family members has died because of these health challenges.
But not for Mary Lokeris, a resident of the same sub-county.
”I was treating my one year old child from the drug shop in the trading center, but her health condition deteriorated, and she died on her way to the hospital.”
According to Lokeris, the death of her child was caused by the delays and the poor road network in the Sub County.
Lokeris appealed to the government to establish a health facility in the area and improve the road networks to ease movements.
Residents buy drugs on market days
Faith Nakut, the Napak District Woman Member of Parliament, noted that the only Health center III in the district serves more than 20,000 people.
According to Nakut, the health facility inaccessibility challenge has forced residents of sub-counties such as Poron and Lorengecora to wait for market days to buy medicine.
Nakut said that they have been pushing for the upgrade of health center IIs to health center IIIs to increase the supply of drugs, in addition to advocating for good health practices by the community to reduce their risks of contracting diseases.
Only 42% has access to health facilities
Timothy Teko, the Napak District Health Officer, acknowledged the inadequate health facilities in the district and revealed that only 42 percent of the population is accessing health services in the district.
Teko said that recently, the Ministry of Health, under infrastructure development, gazetted two more health centers for construction in Poron and Lorengecora Sub County.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health also plans to upgrade the current health IIs to health center IIIs, and Iriiri health center III to IV.
Teko is optimistic that when the health center upgrade is done, it would help the population to access more health services.
Bite Timothy Teko- Napak DHO
John Paul kodet, the chairperson of Napak district, said the district is undergoing many challenges in the health care system.
Kodet noted that the health centers are overwhelmed, which is forcing some expectant mothers to give birth in the hands of traditional birth attendants.
“The mother in labor pain has to walk over 130 kilometers away to access the health, and this puts the district in an awkward situation,” Kodet lamented.
Kodet highlighted that the district is already struggling to contain the burden of Malaria due to inadequate health facilities.
“In the health policy, every county is supposed to have health center IV but unfortunately, this has not worked for Napak district.”
