By Frank Kamuntu
The World Bank has rejected Uganda’s request to redirect COVID-19 grant funds toward completing stalled health infrastructure projects, Minister of Health Dr. Ruth Aceng has revealed.
Dr. Aceng expressed her frustration during a meeting with Parliament’s Health Committee on the Ministry of Health’s 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper. Responding to MPs’ concerns about numerous stalled projects, she explained that the Uganda COVID-19 Response and Emergency Preparedness Project (UCREV) funds were initially allocated as a grant for COVID-19 but could not be repurposed.
“We thought we could restructure the funds to address stalled projects, but the World Bank rejected our proposal. The project is closing by June 2025 despite multiple negotiations,” Dr. Aceng said.
Report on Drug Waste
The development comes as the Auditor General’s December 2024 report revealed that the National Medical Stores destroyed expired COVID-19 vaccines, ARVs, and test kits worth UGX 316.65 billion in 2023/24—an increase from UGX 33 billion in 2022/23.
Poor Health Infrastructure
MPs, including Isaac Otimgiw (Padyere County), raised concerns over the poor state of health facilities, citing dilapidation, lack of critical medical equipment, and idle machines due to maintenance and staffing challenges.
“It is saddening that some regional referral hospitals lack functional Accident and Emergency Units. Soroti’s unit is nonexistent, and its theatre is too small, forcing patients to queue for surgery,” Otimgiw noted.
He also highlighted the lack of modern mortuaries, pointing out that Arua Regional Referral Hospital must transport bodies to Nebbi General Hospital. “Basic facilities like X-ray machines in Moroto have been down for over six months, yet repeated pleas for intervention have gone unanswered,” he added.
In response, Dr. Aceng cited limited funding as a major constraint. “We received only UGX 2 billion to procure equipment nationwide. Some machines remain uninstalled due to lack of funds. We need additional resources to install X-ray machines and other critical equipment,” she said.
Call for Increased Funding
Presenting the 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper, Budget Committee Vice Chairperson Achia Remigio decried inadequate funding for Regional Equipment Maintenance Workshops. He noted that critical diagnostic equipment remains non-functional due to minor faults that could be repaired if funds were available.
“For years, we have recommended that UGX 12.3 billion be allocated in phases to fully operationalize regional maintenance workshops, but the Ministry of Finance has not provided the funds,” Remigio stated.
Following deliberations, Parliament approved UGX 7 billion for maintaining new imaging equipment (CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound machines), UGX 12.97 billion for oxygen plant maintenance, and UGX 11.85 billion for transformers to stabilize power for medical equipment.
Ambulance Funding
Parliament also urged the Ministry of Finance to allocate UGX 74.4 billion for purchasing constituency ambulances and maintaining the existing fleet, highlighting political implications for MPs seeking re-election in 2026.
“The delay in ambulance delivery has affected MPs politically. With elections approaching, this issue must be addressed urgently,” Remigio noted.
To bridge the gap, Parliament recommended an additional UGX 54 billion to procure 158 ambulances for underserved constituencies and UGX 12.8 billion to operationalize the National Ambulance System.
Currently, Uganda has received 116 Grade B ambulances—100 allocated to constituencies, 10 to regional referral hospitals, and six to command centers.
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