Latest Posts

Lacor Hospital Protests Primary Health Care Budget Cut

St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu is protesting the more than 50 percent reduction of its primary health care budget.

The hospital director, Dr. Martin Ogwang, says that they have been receiving Shillings 600million under primary health care, which accounts for 5 percent of the annual budget of the hospital but the health ministry reduced it to Shillings 230million this financial year.

He explains that the Ministry of Health has directed them to benefit from the result-based financing, which is only about Shillings 150 million to 200 million that is released on a quarterly basis.

“We have engaged the Ministry of Health and the answer they gave us is that now we have a result-based funding in place and Lacor should earn from that and you must do certain activities, have a certain quality to earn this money,” Ogwang told Uganda Radio Network in an interview.

He explained that the money comes with a budget line and the hospital cannot use it independently to provide services in the key priority areas of primary health care, adding that the hospital requires a billion Shillings from the government to close off the funding gaps.

He also noted that despite the huge budget cut to the hospital by the government, Uganda Revenue Authority-URA has continued to tax medical supplies. Records from the hospital show that URA taxed the hospital Shillings 248million in the last 24 months for medical supplies.

Ogwang notes that they only managed to pay Shillings 121 million leaving a balance of Shillings 127 million, which they have failed to settle because of resource constraints. “We have petitioned both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health to waive off some of these taxes. I don’t know whether they want us to close operations or increase the medical bills,” he wondered.

Dr. Dominique Atim, the daughter of the late Dr. Corti Lucile who founded the hospital has similarly raised concerns about the funding gaps in the hospital. Atim explained that COVID-19 has affected their donor funding as the world battles with the pandemic, in addition to the current Russian-Ukraine conflict, which has affected the medical supplies.

She noted that the hospital was established in the 1960s to provide the best health care services to needy patients but the changing donor pattern now compromises the strategic mission of the hospital to provide care.

The hospital also faces challenges of high cost of quality verification for the equipment to enter the country and maintenance, which is 20 percent of the cost of their purchases.

The hospital largely depends on donations. This  hospital expects to raise 67 percent of its Shillings 25 billion budget in the 2022/23 financial year budget from donations. Bill from patients would account for 27 percent with the government expected to provide 5 percent but only Shillings 234 million was allocated to the hospital.

Legislators from Acholi have petitioned the government to increase funding to Lacor hospital from 5 percent to 30 percent. Although the government has acknowledged the funding gap to the hospital, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Diana Atwine said that there was no money.

Founded in 1959 as a faith-based nonprofit private health facility with a 30-bed capacity, the hospital has progressively grown over the past decades and currently has 483-beds. At the peak of the Northern Uganda insurgency led by the Lord Resistance Army, many of the health facilities in the region collapsed, leaving Lacor with the burden of health care provision in the region.

*****

URN

Loading

Don't Miss

EXPOSED! Muyenga Tycoon’s Maid Cited In Land Wrangle

In recent days, Muyenga, Y2K Zone a push Kampala suburb,

Parliament Orders Closure Of Fuelex Petrol Stations For Adulterating Fuel

The Parliamentary Committee on Trade And Industry led by Mbarara

Big Story: Parliament Probes UETCL Bosses Over Corruption, Mismanagement & Controversial UGX 28Billion Compensation Deal

Members of Parliament on the Committee on Environment and Natural

‘Back Off Buganda Land’ Kabaka Mutebi Castigates People Pushing For Abolition Of Mailo Land Tenure System

The Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has

Big Story: IGG Probes Over Shs1bn Ubos Fraud

The Inspector General of Government (IGG) is investigating top officials

EXPLOSIVE: How Speaker Kadaga & Confidant Hon. Okupa Spent Over US $764,000 (Shs2.8 BN) In-less Than 2 Years In Travels Abroad

Since taking office as Deputy Speaker of Parliament way back

Ham Vs DTB Appeal: Bank Of Uganda Runs Out Of Case, Leaves DTB To Carry Its Own Cross

Bank of Uganda has officially quit the case involving city

Amnesty International Joins Push To Free Presidential Runner Robert Kyagulanyi

The Ugandan authorities must immediately lift the police and military

Exporters Call For Strong Action Against EAC States’ Trade Barriers

Manufacturers have called on the government to impose tough measures

Big Story: How KCCA Officials Messed Up Youth Fund Programs, Stole Billions of Gov’t Funds In Shoddy Deals

Kampala: If there is any government Authority that frustrating President

I Predict Museveni, NRM Victory In 2021 Elections

By Faruk Kirunda Kampala: As we dive into the high

Crisis: Lord Mayor Lukwago Defies Court Order, Appoints Balondemu As Chairman K’la District Land Board

Veteran lawyer Hajji Elias Lukwago, who is the Kampala city

Scandal: Stanbic Bank Bosses Allegedly Steal Borrowers’ Land Titles, Mortgage Them To Dfcu Bank

Several officials at Stanbic Bank are in deep trouble after

Scandal: KCCA Officials On Spot For Blowing Shs 8Bn Under The Guise Of Renovating Old Tax Park

Several officials at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), are

Covid-19 Crisis: Ugandan Students Expected To Sit For UNEB Exams In March 2021

All indications are that a dead year will not be

BoU To Appeal In Supreme Court Over Trashed Crane Bank Case

The Bank of Uganda (BOU) has said it will be

Shame As Top Police Boss Is Convicted Of Car Theft, Ordered To Pay Over Shs282M

Untold shame has engulfed the Uganda Police a senior officer

Just In! Energy Mafias Rock Parliament As Patriotic Young Turks Question AIGP Akullo’s Involvement In Min. Energy Corruption

Panic has rocked Parliament as renowned Parliamentarian and Lawyer Hon.

Energy Mafias Debunked Part III: How Werikhe, Turyagyenda Corruptly Swindled Shs15 Bn For 3 Electricity Distribution Projects In Acholi, Bunyoro & Kiruhura

FUNDING THE COUP THROUGH ENERGY AND MINERALS CORRUPTION By the

Just In: Top Energy Officials Fired On Presidential Orders Over Massive Theft Of Electricity Distribution Funds

By Our Reporter Kampala: Two senior officials of Rural Electrification

Salary Scam Hits KCCA AS 29bn Is Paid To Ghost Workers

After Eng Andrew Kitata took over as the acting Executive

Court Orders Col.Kaka’s Son To Defend Himself Over Girlfriend Murder

High Court Judge Moses Kawumi Kazibwe has ordered Brian Bagyenda indicted

Four Mbarara Police Officers Dismissal Over Dragging Elderly Woman In Mud

The Police Disciplinary Court in Mbarara has recommended the dismissal