Introduction
Lacor Health Centre III, Pabbo is one of the three peripheral health facilities of St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor.
Location: This health centre is in Amuru district and strategically in Pabbo sub-county (kal parish – Kal centre village). This health centre III works in close relationship with Pabbo government Health Centre III in the same sub-county, Parish and Village. Other health centres II that support this facility are shown in the figure below.
While upholding the mission of St. Mary’s hospital Lacor, it provides a wide range of services to a catchment population of 53,000.
Mission of Lacor hospital
To provide health care to the needy and fight diseases and poverty, thus witnessing the maternal concern of the church for every sick person regardless of ethnic origin, social status, religious or political affiliation.
The Health Unit Management Committee
This committee plays very important oversight role in the supervision and day to day running of health centre business. The committee is chaired by a director from the main Lacor Hospital.
Human Resources
This health centre is managed by a Clinical Officer, with midwives, nurses, a Laboratory team and support staff. They are recruited by Lacor hospital who has the responsibility of providing health services to the catchment population. The health centre staff is supported in service delivery by a team of community based health workers, such as VHTs (Village Health Team,) comprising community drug distributors and community vaccinators. Each VHT member is responsible for the health of 25 – 30 households in a village; they provide a monthly report to the health centre.
Services offered
The preventive services
These comprise planned Primary Health Care (PHC) activities such as:
- Cold Chain Management (keeping drugs at a recommended temperature) & Community based immunization.
- School Health visits.
- Community based PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDs) and Antenatal Clinic activities.
- TB-CB DOT (Tuberculosis Community Based Directly Observed Therapy)
- Monthly VHT meeting & supervision.
All these PHC activities are carried out during outreach visits organized routinely by the health centre. It involves travelling to very far places (on average 92km away from the health centre) often considered as “Hard to reach areas”. The VHTs play very key roles in community mobilization and sensitization. Each VHT is expected to own a pit latrine at his/her homestead to improve on the presence of latrines in every community and to encourage the use of them.
User Fees: Community members often access PHC activities free of Charge.
Curative Services
Many patients from villages in the catchment areas come to seek curative health care services at the Health Centre. The outpatient department treats up to 1900 (average) new attendants every month. Those who are unable to take oral medications are usually admitted into the health centre wards for parenteral treatments. The health centre has a bed capacity of 24 beds in accordance with Health Centre III requirements.
User fees: All the curative services are offered at a subsidized cost:
- consultation fee adult – 2,000/=
- consultation fee child under five years -1,000/=
- Admission fee adult (above 12yrs) – 10,000/=
- Admission fee maternity (all) – 10,000/=
- Admission fee children (6-12yrs) – 10,000
- Admission fee (under five years) – Free.
Future plans: More services will be decentralized to the Health Centre
There will be improved support and supervision from Lacor