Communities living in Nyarubuye Sub County, Kisoro district are counting losses after their major health facility was closed down temporarily on Sunday night following destructive mudslides.
Residents in Gatovu village are also calling on Government for assistance after the Mudslide debris destroyed three homes, forcing residents to seek shelter at the Sub County Chief’s home in Karambi parish.
Nyarubuye LCIII chairman Ndiryariye Ernest Buchokori says the damage to the health facility is extensive and a lot of support is needed to have return to its normal function.
Buchokori says the water tank supplying the entire health facility has been destroyed, part of the outpatient was submerged in debris while the store has also been covered completely.
Nyarubuye HC III, the biggest health facility serves 20 villages, offering outpatient and in-patient services including deliveries, HIV testing and counseling among others.
“The Kisoro district Health Officer (DHO) is aware and has pledged to lobby for more funds from Ministry of Health to ensure that the health facility is up and running very soon”, Buchokori explained
Bulungi Bwansi Launched
Residents hailing from the 20 villages have decided to join hands and come together to save their own health facility.
Two villages per day for the next 10 days will meet at the health facility with hoes and spades to clear the mud and other debris.
Those who fail to participate will be heavily fined.
Philip Ngendahimana, the Kirwa village LCI Chairperson says residents are putting on a brave face in spite of the tragic losses they have just experienced.
In Kirwa village alone, where Nyarubuye HC III is located, at least 8 homes have been negatively affected by the mudslides.
Ngendahimana says things are bound to get worse before they get better because food crisis as well as sanitation concerns have already been registered.
He says the people decided to focus their energies in saving their health facility instead of sitting and lamenting about how they are going to die of hunger.
“We are calling on the district leadership and the central Government to hurry and intervene in this situation before people lose hope, we are doing our best, but we need your help”, Ngendahimana stressed
Heavy rains continue fall all across Kisoro district which have resulted in Mudslides in some areas and have also disrupted road transport in others.
He also anticipated more criminal cases in the future resulting from land wrangles because demarcations have also been destroyed by landslides.
With looming food crisis in villages after by heavy rains and mudslides, local leaders have predicted that cases of crime including theft are likely to increase during the festive season.
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