Parliament has raised alarm over the dilapidated state of Uganda’s health facilities, with MPs demanding a clear government strategy to address poor infrastructure, equipment shortages, and inadequate staffing across hospitals and health centers.
Lawmakers expressed concern over the dire state of regional referral hospitals, particularly Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, which Speaker Anita Among said was struggling to serve hundreds of patients daily under difficult conditions.
Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi called for a countrywide renovation plan, stressing that all health facilities—from referral hospitals to rural health centers—must be upgraded to provide quality healthcare.
Parliament recently approved a $20 million loan for the rehabilitation and equipping of Bugiri General Hospital in Busoga, a move MPs said should be replicated nationwide.
Former Health Committee Chairperson Charles Ayume noted that an additional budget is needed to supply 3,000 health centers with essential equipment such as glucometers, BP machines, and thermometers.
The legislators also proposed a policy to extend government support to religious-founded hospitals, which play a key role in providing care, particularly in underserved areas.
Speaker Among reassured the public that Parliament would back the Ministry of Health to improve service delivery.
“As Parliament, we shall support the Ministry of Health to improve healthcare. I love issues of health, and I’m happy we have brought health services nearer to the people,” she said.
The government is also rolling out reforms to upgrade health center IVs to community hospitals in an effort to expand access to healthcare and reduce treatment costs.
