Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, has suggested a direct electricity connection for all government hospitals to tackle the mounting domestic arrears for utilities such as electricity and water.
During her appearance before the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Dr. Atwine urged the Ministry of Finance to prioritize government hospitals by allocating sufficient funds to cover their power and water bills.
Dr. Atwine informed the committee that a lack of power in referral hospitals often leads to unused medical equipment, emphasizing the importance of reliable electricity supply for healthcare services.
She also highlighted the financial challenges faced by the Ministry of Health in maintaining medical equipment, resulting in breakdowns and rendering them unusable.
Eng. Abdon Atwine, the Commissioner for Rural Electrification in the Ministry of Energy, disclosed that 23 hospitals owe a total of 7.4 billion shillings in domestic arrears for power.
Eng. Amayo Johnson, the Deputy Managing Director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, revealed to lawmakers that government hospitals have outstanding water utility bills amounting to 15.8 billion shillings, hampering their operations.
The legislators on the health committee urged both the National Water and Sewerage Corporation and the Ministry of Energy to issue warnings before disconnecting hospitals to prevent potential loss of lives.
Dr. Charles Ayume, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, assured that he would address the issue of underfunding of health facilities with the Ministry of Finance.
Additionally, Dr. Ayume called on the National Water and Sewerage Corporation to address plumbing and sewerage system challenges at Kiruddu and Chin-Naguru Friendship Hospital.
Where does the government put the tax they collect from people yet the government hospitals have debts in billions?