Eastern province

NGOMA-The minister of health Dr Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo last week commissioned a health center in Zaza with a call on residents to practice good sanitation to combat diseases.

.

"Cleanliness at home, eating clean food, drinking boiled water are some of the ways through which we can fight some disease,” Ntawukuriryayo said.

Ntawukuriryayo asked residents to guard the health facility constructed by the African development bank like personal property.

"This health centre is for you the residents of Zaza but not for the government as most of you imagine. If someone gave you a cow he would not follow it up and look after it. You have to look after it yourself to get benefits out of it,” he said, before proceeding to commission another health centre in Nyamugahe in Kirehe district.

He noted that it was dangerous for families lacking toilets and failing to maintain cleanliness in one’s latrine as it would attract diseases.

The minister warned that lack of personal hygiene; failing to bathe and wash clothes could also cause diseases.

On family planning Ntawukuriryayo urged residents to adopt family planning methods in order to produce a few manageable children.

"Producing children you can not afford to give the basic necessities and start beating them to go to bed on empty bellies is the greatest sin,”

Zaza health centre started operation in mid March 2003 after president Paul Kagame laid a foundation stone there.

 Among the problems highlighted, the health centre lacks: adequate staff, enough electricity, no voluntary counseling and testing for HIV and computers for proper record keeping.     

 Governor Theoneste Mutsindashyaka urged residents to work hard to alleviate poverty out of their families.

Before the world bank constructed this health centre, people of Zaza used to travel by boat a long distance to Rukumberi the nearest health centre about 20 km away across Lake Mugesera.

Ends