Deputy Speaker Among tasks health committee on status of health facilities

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has tasked the House Committee on health to carry out field visits to government health facilities across the country to ascertain the state they are in.

Among issued the directive on Thursday during the plenary session. She gave the committee chaired by Koboko Municipality MP Charles Ayume one month to report back to Parliament.

She said that the report should enable parliament to ascertain the budgetary needs involved to upgrade the available health centres.

Among’s directive followed queries by a section of MPs about the absence of key health services at different health centres and referral hospitals in the countryside.

Abubaker Kawalya, the Rubaga North MP said that Kampala Capital City has only three ambulances, an indication that several health centres do not have a single ambulance.

He informed parliament that government is yet to buy more ambulances despite a resolution passed by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for Kampala to have a total of 10 ambulances with two in each division.

Christine Ndiwalana, the Bukomansimbi North MP said that there are no basic medicines at the health centres in her constituency. She demanded that the Minister of Health explains the absence of medicines and failure to upgrade the available health centres.

Melsa Naima Avako, the Yumbe Woman MP raised concern that some of the regional referral hospitals that were recently upgraded by the government also lack adequate budgets to operate.

Norah Bigirwa, the Buliisa Woman MP said that Buliisa hospital which was recently elevated from health center IV lacks infrastructure for a hospital standard.

Earlier on, the State Minister for Health-General Duties, Anifa Kawooya had been told to explain why there are no hospital and transport services in Terego district. Kawooya said that Terego was a new district that started operating in the previous financial year 2020/2021 with several infrastructure yet to be put in place.

However, the Deputy Speaker Among told the State Minister that a district being new was not an excuse. She tasked State Minister Kawooya to explain where Ugandans in those new districts are expected to get the required health services.

Kawooya then committed to providing Parliament with a report on the measures put in place by the government to ensure that districts without hospitals are catered for in the budget.

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