Ministry wants Shs24b more for Mulago renovation
Ms Sarah Opendi, the State minister for Health in-charge of General Duties. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- The minister previously said the idea behind modernisation of Mulago hospital, alongside construction of the 450-bed capacity Mulago Neo-Natal and Maternity Specialist hospital, was to create a medical complex for all super-specialised health services and promote medical tourism.
Kampala. The Health ministry has asked government to provide an additional $6.5m (Shs24b) to complete the renovation of Mulago National Referral Hospital and transform it into a super-specialised facility.
Ms Sarah Opendi, the State minister for Health in-charge of General Duties, said Roko company, the contractor, notified them a fortnight ago that it is suspending the upgrade work unless the Shs24b was availed. The money, according to the firm, is to pay off outstanding debts, fix the intensive care and the organ transplant units.
“We hadn’t originally planned to renovate the mortuary to carry more bodies as a teaching facility; so, they had to fix it. Now they need to fix the intensive care and organ transplant units which have not been done,” she said.
If the government provides the money, the revamped Mulago super specialised hospital could be ready for use by June this year.
Mr Kenneth Mugambe, the director for Budget in the Finance ministry, acknowledged receipt of the request which he said they are scrutinising.
“They want a supplementary budget; we are examining it,” he said.
Minister Opendi in an interview yesterday said they require a law regulating organ transplant to guide procedures in the organ transplant unit.
The minister previously said the idea behind modernisation of Mulago hospital, alongside construction of the 450-bed capacity Mulago Neo-Natal and Maternity Specialist hospital, was to create a medical complex for all super-specialised health services and promote medical tourism.
The new maternity hospital has, however, failed to attract patients because of the high charges, forcing policy makers to start fresh conversation on possible reduction of the rates. “I visited the neo-natal maternity hospital recently and I found it underutilised,” minister Opendi said, adding, “We are going back to Cabinet to ask for the revision of the charges to make them affordable.”
Much as government reasoned that the new facility would reduce maternal mortality in the country, currently at 336/100,000 against a global rate of 216 per every 100,000 live births, the prohibitive costs of the specialised services have forced expectant women to seek cheaper alternatives.
