Parliament approves additional UGX 164b for health sector

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament has approved an additional budget of 164.05 billion shillings to the health sector in the financial year 2020/2021.

This followed the adoption of the Budget Committee report on the National Budget Framework Paper in which Members of Parliament recommended additional funds for different activities under the health sector. The report was tabled by the Budget Committee Vice Chairperson Patrick Isiagi Opolot.

Government proposed a budget allocation of Shillings 1.55 trillion to the health sector down from the current budget allocation of 2.589 trillion shillings in the financial year 2019/2020.

Recently civil society organisations decried the reduction of the budget.

10 billion shillings of the additional budget will be for medical interns’ allowances, 15 billion in counter-part funding for some projects, 7.6 billion for Uganda’s contribution towards Global Fund and others.

Also approved by parliament was additional funding of Shillings 600 million for the operationalization of Kawolo General Hospital and 800 million for the operationalization of Kayunga and Yumbe General Hospitals.

Isaigi also noted that the Health Ministry requires Shillings 5 billion towards funding the regional medical equipment maintenance workshops.

Under the Uganda Cancer Institute, parliament approved additional funding of 3.75 billion to enable the institute acquire the 2HDR machines needed for treating cervical cancer patients. It also recommended that the Institute strategically opens up four branches in the four regions of the country to reduce the distance and bring the services closer to the people.

Parliament approved the committee recommendation for Kiruddu hospital to get additional funding of Shillings 5.2 billion for recruitment of critical staff, 2.2 billion for retooling of the hospital, 5.2 billion to cater for increased utility bills and 1 billion for setting up the oxygen plant.

8.355 billion shillings will cater for recruitment of critical staff, medicines, paediatric, transport equipment and utilities at Kawempe National Referral Hospital and another 1 billion Shillings for setting up the oxygen plant.

Parliament directed the government allocates 7.435billion for recruitment of more staff to bridge the required gap in offering super specialized services at Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital,1.5 billion for purchase of super-specialized medicines, 13.06 billion for medical equipment and 7.2 billion to cater for non-wage recurrent costs.

The committee recommended government to provide additional 4.2 billion for wage, non-wage and capital development for Entebbe regional referral hospital.

Meanwhile, parliament also directed that government provides Shillings 65 billion to enable the completion of projects in all the hospitals.

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