Expansion of Kambuga Hospital to cost govt Shs43b
This photo taken on March 29 shows a section of Kambugu Hospital in Kanungu Distrct PHOTO/RONALD KABANZA
What you need to know:
- The hospital came into spotlight when minister Chris Baryomunsi was rushed there before being airlifted to Kampala after he collapsed in his Kinkizi East constituency.
Government has unveiled the architectural design for the expansion and renovation of Kambuga Hospital which is projected to cost Shs43billion.
Built in 1965 and commissioned in 1968, the hospital in Kanungu District is now a 100-bed capacity general health facility serving people in South Ankole and Kigezi sub regions as well DR Congo populations.
Officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony for new works at the hospital on Wednesday, health minister Jane Ruth Aceng asked the contractor not to compromise standards. The UPDF Engineering Brigade has been contracted to do the work.
“We have given you the money you requested for, and therefore you must produce quality work” Minister Aceng said.
She appealed to residents to be vigilant and report criminals aiming to steal or vandalize construction materials.
Speaking at the same function, information minister Chris Baryomunsi acknowledged a functioning health system as a pillar for development.
“When people are living in a disease-free community, they normally spend much of time and resources in doing development activities,” he noted.
The Kanungu District woman MP Patience Kinshaba Ankunda hailed government for prioritizing her area.
“This is a great milestone which will definitely improve service delivery and minimize the challenges in health service delivery,’’ Ms Kinshaba said.
The Kambuga Hospital medical superintendent Dr Kasudha Daniel urged government to provide more support to the facility.
“We continue asking for more especially in the areas of human resource so that the staffing structures and levels enable effective service delivery. We also request for a new ambulance as the one we have is too old and very costly in terms of maintenance,” Dr Kasudha said.
The construction works for the expansion and renovation will commerce in mid-April, according to the project manager Col Eng Godfrey Tukamwasara.
“The construction process will be done in phases. We shall begin with renovation, then attend the construction of staff quarters and all these are likely to take 3 years because every financial years we shall be addressing one item,’’ Eng Tukamwasara told Monitor on Wednesday.
