ALARM AS HIV/AIDS CLIENTS AT YUMBE HEALTH CENTER IV RECEIVE ART SERVICES FROM MORTUARY

Ofoyrwoth Brian, the Advocacy and Research officer WECISNET during his presentation of the key findings on factors affecting service delivery in sampled health facilities in West Nile. All photos by Godwin Abedican.

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

Stake holders from Yumbe district have decried the decision of the management of Yumbe health center IV to move the HIV/AIDS Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) services for persons living with HIV/AIDS to the facility’s mortuary.
 
Describing this as stigma against the clients, the stakeholders say this is not befitting in any way given the challenges and trauma of dealing with the disease the clients go through.
 
Speaking during a regional citizen-leader interactions and stakeholder dialogues for Nest Nile on services delivery organized by West Nile regional Civil Society Network (WECISNET) held at Blue Cuts Motel in Koboko on Thursday February 13, 2025, Jackline Ewudopia, the Program Coordinator Yumbe GBV Reduction Network (YUGNET) says this move by the management of the facility gives a negative signal to the people living with HIV/AIDS and affects their service seeking behavior.
 
“While the ART clinic was moved to the mortuary, the patients thought they had regarded them as dead people, which is why it was moved there for them. That is why they lost the courage to pick their drugs. So, it’s something stigmatizing, something that needs an urgent attention and immediate action,” Ewudopia echoed.
 

 
According to Alichi Toah Sebbi a representative of citizens, the district leadership needs to ensure a very quick response to this, otherwise many clients may give up on seeking HIV/AIDS related services a factor for increased death among HIV clients.
 
“Recently the room given for ART was the mortuary of the health facility. And when the mortuary equipment was brought, since the ART currently has no specific room, it is congested with the equipment of the mortuary. The leaders should think about it and find a way to see that this is addressed,” Alichi appealed.
 
In response to this Ojjo Zuberi, the acting district heath officer for Yumbe district apologized for the mix up at the facility, promising the intervention of his office to address the matter.
 
“The issue of ART, I am sorry. It hurts me. We know how it started. The road effected our ART clinic and we had several meetings at the facility even including the coordinator. The district health team’s directive was very clear that the ART should be at the OPD. We even identified a place. This is very unfortunate. I think I am going to take it up with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). We will be able to follow. Otherwise we have a place where it was supposed to be. We shall ensure that is done,” Ojjo pledged.
 
Yumbe health center 4 is one of the main health facilities that offers HIV/AIDS counseling and treatment services in the district.
 
 
 

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