MPs demand list of patients treated at Nakasero hospital

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs to present a list of patients treated at Nakasero hospital.

The committee was on Tuesday meeting the Defense Ministry officials led by Lieutenant General Joseph Musanyufu, the UPDF Joint Chief of Staff and Edith Buturo the Permanent Secretary Defense on the audit queries raised in the 2017/2018 audit report by Auditor General, John Muwanga.

According to the report, Nakasero hospital demands the government 1.3 billion shillings arrears for treating of Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) personnel and their families.

Nandala Mafabi, the Budadiri West MP and chairperson PAC directed the team to present a detailed list of the beneficiaries by December 5th.

Buturo said that they incur huge expenses in treatment across the country and abroad for the soldiers and their families.

She says that the cases taken to private facilities like Lubaga hospital, Kisubi, Lacor and Mengo hospitals can’t be treated UPDF health facilities.

Buturo says the Ministry of Defense is currently studying the option of health insurance scheme customized for UPDF but also emphasized that the finalization of the National Military hospital at Mbuya in August 2020 will solve the challenges.

In his report, the Auditor General established that the Ministry referred staff to Nakasero hospital which is a private for-profit facility and known to be fairly expensive as the first option even for medication such as Hepatitis B vaccine, urinalysis, full blood count among others. He says hospitals like Mulago and military facilities were better options.

He also said he was not provided with the medical details for the different categories of staff.

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