Health ministry explains COVID-19 funds

HEALTH|COVID-19|FUNDS 

The Ministry of Health has clarified on how it used funds allocated to them towards the fight against COVID-19.

This comes after a report by the budget monitoring and accountability unit of the finance ministry called on the Auditor General to undertake a forensic audit on all expenditure by the health ministry in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The finance ministry also asked the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority to undertake an audit on all direct procurements undertaken by the health ministry for the same cause.

In a press statement dated October 31, 2020, the health ministry said whereas it is true that the estimated budget was sh2.2 trillion, for a period of 18 months, the ministry only received a sh119b supplementary budget.

They said the rest were off-budget commitments and expenditures by partner organisations, which was expected to be spent over the 18-month period.

Regarding intensive care unit (ICU) equipment, the ministry said most of the contracts were signed by end of June and during the lockdown period, which made transportation and obtaining supplies globally difficult. 

"The international market was experiencing high demand for the same commodities and some equipment like X-rays could not be obtained off the shelf but rather are manufactured on order. This explains the delay in supply," the statement reads.

A total of 87 ICU beds of monitoring due to lack of space, pending supplementary funds.

The delay in procuring oxygen plants was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about increased demand and competition for these commodities.

So far, the health ministry said 1,000 hospital beds, mattresses, and bedding have been procured and distributed to the different COVID-19 treatment units, including 300 in Mulago and 700 at Namboole, which was turned into a temporary treatment facility.

Whereas the finance ministry reported that 13 tents were signed and installed at Namboole, by the time of monitoring in September, the health ministry said 20 tents were initially procured, but could not be anchored as it would damage the turf.

A decision was, therefore, made to reallocate the tents to the regional referral hospitals to create additional space for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The health ministry also contacted both local governments and Uganda Revenue Authority, who agreed to avail land for mobile health facilities in vain.

This was meant to avoid the long queues of truck drivers at the border points.

The unclear payments highlighted by the finance ministry for the accommodation of returnees at Kirigime Guest House in Kabale came about after Cabinet resolved to support those who were stranded at the points of entry, where there were no public quarantine facilities, the health ministry explained.

They also refuted claims that spray pumps were missing, saying distribution is going on. On the issue of face masks, the health ministry said whereas a budget of sh81b was requested from the finance ministry, only sh3.3b was released in July.

That notwithstanding, they have distributed over 26.4 million masks worth sh63.3b, which is far more than the sh33b provided.