Gov’t pushed over rundown hospitals
By Our reporter
KAMPALA – Dilapidated health facilities should be renovated and elevated to district hospital status to improve service delivery, Members of Parliament have told the Government.
Hon. Joan Alobo (FDC, Soroti City Woman Representative), alluded to President Yoweri Museveni’s directives on improving health infrastructure in the country and adequately equipping hospitals, which she said remains lacking in many facilities.
“Soroti Regional Referral Hospital does not have infrastructure to house male and female patients, and they have ended up sharing one ward. I request this Parliament to task the Minister for Health to bring a comprehensive report on plans to refurbish our hospital,” said Alobo.
She made the call on Wednesday, 05 August 2026, during debate on a motion to appreciate the President on the State-of-the-Nation Address delivered to Parliament on 04 June 2026.
Hon. Umar Nangoli (Indep., Northern Division, Mbale City) cited Mbale Regional Referral Hospital where 2015 plans to erect a multi-purpose complex to cater for the emergency department, ENT, neonatal ward and special outpatients clinic have since stalled due to funding constraints.
“This project has been running on a fraction of the Shs14 billion hospital capital development fund under the health ministry. However, only Shs500 million has been allocated. The outstanding amount required to complete this complex is around Shs26 billion. My prayer is that the ministry completes this project for it to serve its intended purpose,” Nangoli said.
Lwemiyaga County MP, Hon. Emmanuel Rwashande highlighted the limited presence of health facilities in Ssembabule District, which he said has encumbered locals requiring health service delivery.
“We do not have a district referral hospital and as such, people end up crossing five districts to get health care in Masaka District. We request that these services are brought closer to our people, and that Ministry of Health sets up the required health centres in two of my sub-counties,” said Rwashande.
The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, reiterated the need to establish national referral hospitals in different regions of the country, to complement and decentralise the medical services offered by Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Hon. Rwashande revealed that his constituents sometimes travel across five districts to access reasonable medical care
“You have Mbarara University of Science and Technology that is training in medicine and has specialists there. If it had a national referral hospital, all those professors who teach there would help all these patients. Do you have any plans for these hospitals?” Tayebwa noted.
The State Minister for Health (Primary Health Care), Hon. Charles Ayume, said there are plans to decongest key services offered within the capital, Kampala, by extending them to other districts in Uganda.
“In terms of oncology, we now have a unit in Gulu, and in September 2025, Parliament approved a loan request to support construction of an oncology hospital in West Nile. One will be constructed in Mbarara for the western region, and another in Mbale. This will be the same for cardiovascular treatment,” said Ayume.
He added that plans are underway to upgrade Mbarara Hospital to a national referral status, with long term plans to set up national referral hospitals in the Northern, Eastern, and West Nile regions of Uganda.
“But all these require a lot of money. You need a bare minimum of between Shs500 billion to Shs1 trillion. There have been delays in progress because of sectors like power, but now that electricity reaches all corners of the country, I think we are ready to decentralise,” Ayume added.
He acknowledged the wanting infrastructure at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital and said plans are in the pipeline to improve the facility.
“We agree as government that the infrastructure is dilapidated, and it is in our plan. Soroti Hospital was given 50 acres of land, and we are trying to consider whether we should relocate the hospital and build a new one, or remodel the existing infrastructure like we have done for Masindi Hospital,” noted Ayume.
