MPs consider fundraising for Entebbe Hospital storage facility

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On June 10 last year, Public Accounts Committee (Central) Vice Chairperson Gorett Namugga (Mawogola South, NUP) grabbed headlines after she wrote to Dr Dianna Atwine, the Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of Health, demanding specifications of standard delivery beds. This followed the May 28, 2024, committee visit to the facility, where they learned that the facility was improvising with surgical beds for childbirth.

The revelation was made by the staff of Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital during interaction with the legislators. Taking matters into her own hands, Namugga pledged to personally procure as many delivery beds as possible. Fortunately, the matter was resolved by Atwine, who informed Namugga in a June 12, 2024, letter that Entebbe hospital, along with several others facing similar needs, had been included in an ongoing procurement for medical equipment.

“I am pleased to inform you that the hospital is set to receive five new delivery beds. The contract was signed on May 30, 2024, and we expect this delivery very soon,” she assured.

AG report

However, a year later, Namugga and her colleagues on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) find themselves entrapped in a similar dilemma.

After Auditor General (AG) Edward Akol, in his report for the year ended 2024, flagged the same hospital, this time for lacking a proper drug storage facility. Something that risks causing financial loss to the Government. During an inspection, the AG says that he found that storage space was inadequate and some drugs were stored in corridors. While office consumables like stationary were stored in a drug store, and newly delivered supplies did not have space to be stored.

Auditor General (AG) Edward Akol. (File)

Metallic container

However, during a PAC session earlier today (Wednesday, July 9, 2025), Dr John Bosco Nsubuga, Director of Entebbe Regional Hospital, revealed that they had reached out to the National Medical Stores (NMS) to provide a 40-foot container as a temporary solution to the storage challenge.

This prompted legislators to question whether it was even NMS’s mandate to provide storage containers and why the hospital couldn’t procure one on its own. Dr Nsubuga responded that budget constraints had made that impossible.

“The container goes for about sh7 million. The long-term plan is actually to construct a new store, and currently, we are having a project that we are seeking approval for from the Ministry of Finance. It is at the feasibility level now,” Nsubuga stated.

However, Sheila Nduhukire, the NMS spokesperson, says that to the best of her knowledge, the container has since been dispatched. Raising questions about who is telling the truth.

“We approved their request for the container and gave it to them for free as part of our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), and I trust, they’ve since picked it up,” Nduhukire stated on WhatsApp.

Public fundraising

However, a broad cross-section of MPs agreed that addressing this issue would require a public fundraising drive for the hospital.

“This is purely unacceptable. A whole Government fails to buy a 40ft container of sh7 million, we can raise and buy you a container by the way,” said Namugga.

Her appeal was supported by Mugabi (Buvuma District Woman MP, NUP).

Fast-forward, Namugga vowed to bring this to the notice of PS Dianna Atwine.

Col Dr Victoria Nekesa (Army MP) argued that the facility deserves urgent attention, as it serves as the first point of reference for emergencies and VIP care due to its proximity to the airport.

According to the Budget Committee report on budget estimates for the 2025/26 FY, National Medical Stores (NMS) was allocated sh716.17 billion for recurrent expenditure.

The same report goes ahead to indicate that Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital was allocated sh17.28 billion in the current fiscal year.

“Three, when MPs are approving budgets, they are duty-bound to allocate money to mobilise a sector. So, to find an MP talking of fundraising for the Government is stupidity, I don’t know a better word to use… The duty of MPs is threefold: to legislate, appropriate and oversight,” she fumed.

2025/26 Budget

In the 2025/26 Financial Year, which has just commenced, the Government allocated sh5.87 trillion towards key health priorities. (File photo)

In the previous Financial Year (FY), the Government sunk sh721 billion in healthcare supplies, including general and essential medicines through the National Medical Stores (NMS).

This amount included sh100 billion for essential medicines, sh116.8 billion for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, sh2.9 billion for anti-malarial medicines, sh17.8 billion for immunisation supplies, sh52.3 billion for laboratory supplies, and sh2.1 billion for anti-TB drugs.

In the 2025/26 Financial Year, which has just commenced, the Government allocated sh5.87 trillion towards key health priorities. These include: operationalising Health Centre Fours (HC IVs), strengthening primary healthcare and community health services, scaling up the national e-health infrastructure, promoting nutrition education and reproductive health and constructing specialised health facilities for cancer, among others.

Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital serves the South-Central region of Uganda, covering districts such as Wakiso, Mpigi, Kampala, Butambala, Nakaseke, and Gomba. Its catchment population is estimated at 4.3 million people, including travellers transiting through Entebbe International Airport.