Hon Jennifer Driwaru donates two ambulances to Maracha District following a 10 year period with only one Ambulance in the whole District
Maracha district has received two brand new Ambulances to facilitate the health department after ten years of relying on only an Ambulance donated by a nongovernmental organization (NGO).
The two Ambulances bought by Jennifer Driwaru, the Maracha district Woman Member of Parliament (MP) were officially handed over to the district authority amidst jubilation at the district headquarters.
The function started with prayers led by Monsignor Kasto Adeti, the Vicar General of Arua Catholic Diocese who later blessed the Ambulances before they were handed over to the district officials.
While receiving the Ambulances, Dr. Paul Onzubo, the Maracha district health officer noted that they have been using a single Ambulance that traverses the entire district for the last ten years.
He said from the time the district was created in 2011, they haven’t received any Ambulance from the government apart from the one donated by Enable, a Belgian Development Agency in 2012.
He observed that now the problem of the number of Ambulances has been solved, adding that they are very grateful to the Woman MP Hon Jennifer Driwaru.
According to Onzubo, they lost four women during birth at different government facilities in the last financial year while between eight and nine children die for every 1,000 that are born alive in Maracha district.
He said all the deaths are associated with the failure of their Ambulance and emergence systems to reach the mothers very quickly.
Mr Stephen Obitre, the Maracha district chairperson commended Driwaru for thinking about the people of Maracha. He said the Ambulances she has donated will help in saving the lives of mothers and babies in the district.
In her remarks, Driwaru said she used the money that was given to her to buy a car to instead buy the two Ambulances given the dire need for Ambulance services in the district.
“I can’t withdraw these Ambulances no matter the circumstance. I have offered them from deep down my heart because I am not a politician, I am a mere servant of the people. It is politicians who can give and take back after failing but that is not me,” Driwaru remarked.
She thanked the district administration for being very positive in receiving the Ambulances and asked them to ensure that the vehicles are not grounded when people are suffering down there.
Driwaru also rallied the people of Maracha living outside the district to think back and start developing their home district.
Ms Rose Buleru, a mother of 8 and a resident of Yiba Village, Robu Parish in Oleba Sub-County equally thanked Driwaru for donating the two Ambulances. She said as mothers in Yiba Village, it has been very difficult for them to access Oleba Health Centre III during labor due to lack of transport.
Buleru is now hopeful that with the coming of the Ambulances, women in her village will find it easy to access health facilities during labor and other health complications.