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Yumbe leaders decry lack of funding for referral hospital
An aerial view of the newly rehabilitated Yumbe hospital. PHOTO Robert Elema
What you need to know:
The district health officer says the hospital needs more staff but it does not have the funding to recruit more.
Yumbe District leaders have expressed concern over government’s failure to allocate funds to upgrade Yumbe hospital into a regional referral hospital.
Ministry of Health recommended Yumbe hospital to be upgraded to a regional referral effective July 1 and has been under rehabilitation to that effect.
However, Dr Alfred Yayi, the district health officer, said no funds have been allocated for this activity in the 2021/2022 Financial Year.
“No additional funding had been allocated for the hospital by the time Parliament approved the budget for 2021/2022 financial year. All that is left is money for the previous budget and it is not enough to cater for the needs of a regional referral hospital,” Dr Yayi said in an interview with Daily Monitor on Monday.
He said the construction work to rehabilitate the hospital is complete and the hospital is in the process of installing equipment and training staff.
“We have about 115 members of the staff but we need about 400 staff as is recommended for a regional referral hospital. But we cannot recruit more staff without funds,” Dr Yayi said.
It is estimated that the regional referral hospital needs more than Shs6 billion for its operations.
The health facility has been receiving Shs678 million annually as an ordinary hospital.
Mr Noah Achikule, an elder in the district, said: “If government thinks money is a problem, the donor community managing issues of the refugees should come to their aid. Stakeholders in West Nile and Yumbe in particular should also be allowed to go and look for funds so that we are able to facilitate activities of the hospital to international standards.”
Mr Twaib Achile a resident, said: “We do not want the idea of some people denying opportunities for other people in allocation of resources. I think this was done without the knowledge of President Museveni and if he does not act on this, it will appear as if what he said during campaigns was a hoax and the President only came to solicit for votes,” he said.
During the 2021 General Election campaigns on January 9, President Museveni commissioned the hospital after its expansion was completed and pledged to make follow up on its operationalisation into a Regional Referral hospital.
Govt reacts
Speaking to Daily Monitor in a telephone interview on Monday on phone, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, confirmed that Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital will start operations in the coming financial year.
“Operationalisation of the regional referral hospital requires additional health workers, consultants and all these require funds which I think will be captured in the next financial year,” he said.
