Sh29b Project Messed Up
Mar 23, 2004
A SCHEME in which the Government invested over sh29b for establishing, upgrading and rehabilitating health centres has been marred by shoddy construction countrywide.
By Charles Wendo
and Catherine Ntabadde
A SCHEME in which the Government invested over sh29b for establishing, upgrading and rehabilitating health centres has been marred by shoddy construction countrywide.
The Ministry of Health is investigating circumstances under which various contractors constructed faulty health facilities.
The state minister for primary health care, Dr. Alex Kamugisha, said they had not established the scale of the problem, but said it was definitely widespread.
A part of the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP), the Central Government gave districts money to ensure that they have a basic health centre in every parish, a maternity unit in every sub-county and a mini-hospital capable of surgical operations in every county.
However, many of the newly constructed theatres and doctors’ houses were below standard.
Recently Kamugisha asked Dott Services Ltd, the contractors of Kawempe Health Centre in Kampala to redo some of the work.
The theatre building had cracks, the timber was gaping and the pathways would not allow proper movement of trolleys. “Without even going inside, I could see more than 10 construction mistakes,†Kamugisha said. “There is no value for money,†he said.
Dott officials declined to comment on the issue. However, the Kampala district director of health services, Dr. Mesak Mubiru, said he could not stop Dott from proceeding because the Ministry of Health had provided the construction plan.
Kampala City Council secretary for health Francis Lubowa said, “It is difficult to divert a contractor from what he was told to do.â€
However, Kamugisha said local governments in Kampala and upcountry had failed to supervise contractors. He said similar shoddy construction had been done in many of the newly built health buildings countrywide.
At Alebtong Health Centre IV in Lira district, the roof of the theatre has collapsed three times yet district engineers paid the contractor after clearance.
“Naturally whenever a contractor is not supervised, he wants to maximise profits,’’ he said.
Ends
and Catherine Ntabadde
A SCHEME in which the Government invested over sh29b for establishing, upgrading and rehabilitating health centres has been marred by shoddy construction countrywide.
The Ministry of Health is investigating circumstances under which various contractors constructed faulty health facilities.
The state minister for primary health care, Dr. Alex Kamugisha, said they had not established the scale of the problem, but said it was definitely widespread.
A part of the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP), the Central Government gave districts money to ensure that they have a basic health centre in every parish, a maternity unit in every sub-county and a mini-hospital capable of surgical operations in every county.
However, many of the newly constructed theatres and doctors’ houses were below standard.
Recently Kamugisha asked Dott Services Ltd, the contractors of Kawempe Health Centre in Kampala to redo some of the work.
The theatre building had cracks, the timber was gaping and the pathways would not allow proper movement of trolleys. “Without even going inside, I could see more than 10 construction mistakes,†Kamugisha said. “There is no value for money,†he said.
Dott officials declined to comment on the issue. However, the Kampala district director of health services, Dr. Mesak Mubiru, said he could not stop Dott from proceeding because the Ministry of Health had provided the construction plan.
Kampala City Council secretary for health Francis Lubowa said, “It is difficult to divert a contractor from what he was told to do.â€
However, Kamugisha said local governments in Kampala and upcountry had failed to supervise contractors. He said similar shoddy construction had been done in many of the newly built health buildings countrywide.
At Alebtong Health Centre IV in Lira district, the roof of the theatre has collapsed three times yet district engineers paid the contractor after clearance.
“Naturally whenever a contractor is not supervised, he wants to maximise profits,’’ he said.
Ends