Netherlands gives Ugandan hospitals Shs215b

The Ministry of Finance has announced a Shs215 billion project for improving the infrastructure and quality of services in 14 regional referral hospitals, and to address inefficiencies in the Kampala sewage system.
Mr Matia Kasaija, the Finance minister, told journalists in Kampala yesterday the funding is through a grant from the government of the Netherlands. 
 
“We have signed two grant agreements worth Euros 650,000 (Shs2.47b) towards Uganda’s health Sector –particularly to finance the feasibility studies to strengthen the capacity of 14 regional referral hospitals. This will enable the development of a Euros 55m (Shs209.6b) project to be funded by the Netherlands,” he said. Mr Kasaija said another Euros 735,000 (Shs2.8b) will be used to improve the faecal sludge management in the greater Kampala metropolitan area.

Ms Karin Boven, the ambassador of the Netherlands in Uganda, said the two grants will be essential in addressing gaps in service delivery which are partly resulting from the growing population.
“The two grants will support feasibility studies which precede the actual implementation. The referral hospital grant compliments earlier efforts by the Netherlands that supported health infrastructure in referral hospitals,” Ms Boven said.

She added: “The faecal sludge management grant introduces the well-known circular economy approach that fosters sustainable use and management of resources.”

Dr Charles Olaro, the director of clinical services at the Ministry of Health, said the grant will ensure Ugandans get better and more efficient healthcare service delivery.
“We are looking at referral hospitals because we want people to access services nearest to where they live and to avoid overflooding national referral facilities. This will improve the referral system across the country,” he said.