Uganda MPs Push for Better Hospitals and Expanded Health Services

Ugandan lawmakers have urged the government to speed up the renovation of ageing health facilities and upgrade more hospitals to district and national referral status, saying poor infrastructure continues to affect access to quality healthcare in many parts of the country.

The calls were made during parliamentary debate on the motion to appreciate President Yoweri Museveni's State of the Nation Address, with Members of Parliament highlighting the urgent need for better-equipped hospitals and improved medical services outside Kampala.

MPs Raise Concerns Over Ageing Health Facilities

Soroti City Woman Representative Joan Alobo said conditions at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital remain inadequate, pointing out that male and female patients are forced to share the same ward because of limited infrastructure. She urged Parliament to direct the Ministry of Health to present a comprehensive plan for refurbishing the hospital and improving patient care.

Mbale City MP Umar Nangoli also raised concerns about the delayed construction of a multi-purpose complex at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. The project, first proposed in 2015, was designed to accommodate emergency services, an ear, nose and throat unit, a neonatal ward and a specialised outpatient clinic. Nangoli said only Shs500 million has been allocated from a Shs14 billion capital development fund, while about Shs26 billion is still needed to complete the project.

Rural Communities Seek Better Access to Healthcare

Lwemiyaga County MP Emmanuel Rwashande said residents of Ssembabule District continue to face long journeys to access referral healthcare because the district does not have its own referral hospital. He called on the Ministry of Health to establish additional health centres in underserved sub-counties and bring specialised medical services closer to local communities.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa also supported the expansion of referral hospitals across the country, arguing that Uganda should decentralise specialist healthcare by strengthening regional institutions. He noted that universities such as Mbarara University of Science and Technology already train medical specialists who could support a national referral hospital in the region.

Government Outlines Expansion Plans

State Minister for Health (Primary Health Care) Charles Ayume said the government is working to decentralise specialised treatment by establishing new oncology and cardiovascular centres outside Kampala. He noted that oncology services are already available in Gulu, while new cancer hospitals are planned for West Nile, Mbarara and Mbale.

Ayume also confirmed that Mbarara Hospital is being considered for upgrade to national referral status, with long-term plans to establish additional national referral hospitals in Northern, Eastern and West Nile regions. He acknowledged that the projects require significant investment, estimating costs of between Shs500 billion and Shs1 trillion, but said improved electricity access across the country has created better conditions for expanding health infrastructure.

Addressing concerns about Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Ayume agreed that the facility requires major improvements. He said the government is considering whether to construct a new hospital on recently acquired land or renovate the existing infrastructure as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery in the region.