A single downpour that hit Nyarusashanje subcounty of Rukungiri district, in Western Uganda, earlier this month was punctuated with unbearable flooding that caused a power cut in neighboring Kisizi Hospital causing the death of two babies who were admitted for the neonatal intensive care unit in the incubator.
This natural disaster which lasted for about five hours, is the first one of its kind to strike the region after Uganda Meteorology Department has warned of a heavy rains between October to December this year. According to the weather predictions, several parts of Western Uganda were likely to experience the effect of heavy rains in the districts of Bushenyi,Isingiro,Rukungiri and Bundibugyo, with the risk to culminate into massive destruction of properties and cropsAccording to senior medical official in the region, the hospital compound, pediatric wing, maternity and surgical ward were inundated and filled with rubble from the surrounding hills, after water flowed through the buildings.
The deputy medical superintendent of the Anglican missionary private non –profit hospital, Dr Banya Francis also explained that this disaster could not spare the lives of the babies as the oxygen supply was cut off and the health facility was in total blackout.
"Whereas there was quick response by medical workers through use of small torches to conduct minor surgeries and operations, it was compromised by the natural occurrence as they were overwhelmed by the situation," he said.
The Local Council Chairperson of Nyarushanje Subcounty, Micheal Musiime, who was assigned to conduct an assessment of damages inflicted by waters, the flood also destroyed the single source of piped water within the hospital as well as bridges and gardens in the area.
Specialists from the Ugandan Department of Meteorology warn that the heavy rainfall, which began in the Western part of the country earlier this months, is likely to spread across the whole country.
Flooding is already one of the most frequent and widespread of all environmental hazards in several parts across the Greater Horn of Africa, according to the latest estimates by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
More especially the climatic phenomenon of El Niño’s links with drought in southern Africa and the Horn, and with heavy rains in East Africa, are well-established, it said.
Since 2016, the Ugandan government has called on 800,000 people regarded as at risk from landslides in mountainous regions to relocate to safer areas, where they will be supported with relief supplies.
In addition, a 2,000-strong "Civil-Military Disaster Response Group" has been deployed to the Mount Elgon and Mount Rwenzori regions, as well as flood-prone areas in eastern, southwestern and western Uganda, it said.
Uganda last experienced severe weather due to an El Niño event in 2006, which caused massive flooding in the Teso, Lango and Acholi regions.
By: Philip Eric Bakalikwira
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