Health Ministry’s plans to construct each two-bed room house at Shs175.2M in Karamoja have been foiled by Parliament.
This is after Health Ministry sought Parliament’s approval to borrow Euros10M (about Shs41.8bn) from the Government of Italy to finance the Karamoja Infrastructure Development Phase II Project under the Health Sector Development Plan.
Parliament’s National Economy Committee that scrutunised the loan request however raised alarm on the high unit cost of some of the facilities to be constructed or upgraded under the infrastructure development component of this project.
Lawrence Bategeka, the Hoima Municipality MP, who also doubles as Chairperson of National Economy Committee told Parliament that the total Construction cost of 75 2 bed room semidetached Staff Houses at selected Public and PNFP HC IIIs in all Districts of Karamoja,is estimated at Shs13.140M which translates into a unit a cost Shs175.2m for 1 Staff House.
“The Ministry of Health should ensure that the construction activities of this project are undertaken in a way which promotes efficiency and economy in the utilization of public resources while at the same time achieving the objectives of the project,” Bategeka said.
He added: “The Ministry of Health and the Minster of Karamoja affairs should ensure that the specifications of the facilities to be constructed or upgraded under the infrastructure development component of this project are well aligned to the costs of the facilities to be constructed/upgraded to guarantee value for money while implementing this project.”
When MPs raised concerns over the cost of each housing unit, David Bahati, State Minister for Planning told Parliament that each unit would contain ten houses, a statement that was rejected by MPs.
Former Minister of Finance, Syda Bbumba later attempted to amend her Committee report saying the Committee relied on information provided by the Ministry of Health since the Committee couldn’t verify the information due to coronavirus.
However, Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West) rubbished Bbumba’s excuse and accused Bbumba of trying to amend her own report after being coerced by the Ministry of Finance.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga put a question to have the loan approval deferred until the Ministry of Finance provides evidence on the designs of the houses, a question that was seconded by MPs.
In tabling the loan, Government argued that despite the health sector achievements, a significant proportion of the population in Karamoja still have limited access and coverage with regard to quality health services.
Karamoja region has 1 Regional Referal Hospital, 4 General Hospitals, 4 Health Centre IYs, 44 Health Centre IIIs and 50 Health Centre IIs (MoH Health Facility Inventory 2017), which makes the region with the lowest health infrastructure d all the regions in Uganda.
The scope of works consist of Construction of 6 new health centres III; 1 general/maternity wards; 20 outpatient departments; 5 operating theatres; 75 staff houses (2 bedroomed semi-detached); 5 incinerators; Construction of toilet systems; 10 placenta pits; B medical waste pits; 16 medical stores; 1 ambulance; Procurement of equipment items for 10 centres (level III and IV); and Re-tooling for primary health care for the B districts (B vehicles, 16 motorcycles and B public address systems for outreaches, monitoring and community mobilization.
