Health ministry yet to receive funds for vaccines

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng has said that the Ministry is yet to receive funds for the covid-19 vaccine. 

Although Parliament passed 18.3 billion shillings for the procurement of the AstraZeneca Vaccines from the Serum Institute of India last month, the Health Ministry says there has been a delay in availing the money by the Ministry of Finance.

The government had convinced Parliament that the 18.3 Billion Shillings was urgent and is needed as a down payment to access 18 million vaccines. 

However, to date, Aceng says that they are yet to receive the money. She made the revelation on Thursday during plenary. 

She told Members of Parliament that Uganda is currently at the bottom of the list due to the scramble of vaccine, and this can only change if payment is made. She added that the 964,000 doses that are donations are inadequate even for health workers.

Aceng was responding to questions raised by MPs about funds that were allocated by parliament to procure the vaccines.  MPs also tasked the Government to give a detailed plan for the national rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Rising a matter of national importance, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe, the Kassanda North MP, said that the government needs to present a plan to vaccinate all Ugandans and not concentrate in Kampala. 

Aceng however says that the vaccines have been disbursed to the districts for the teachers, health workers and Ugandans above 50. 

The government targets to vaccinate 22 million Ugandans including refugees, and it requires over 590 billion shillings. 

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