Works on the rehabilitation and expansion of the two general hospitals of Yumbe and Kayunga is set to begin in the next one week.
This follows the signing on Friday of contract agreements for the civil works, between the Ministry of Health and the firms that will undertake the construction works.
Arab Contractors Uganda Limited and Sadeem Al-Kuwait were contracted to execute the works which include construction of Out Patient Department (OPD) structures, maternity wards and casualty units at both hospitals.
During the signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Kampala, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Dr Diana Atwine revealed that government had acquired a loan of Shs 125 billion for the project.
She signed the contracts together with the Managing Director of Arab Contractors Uganda Limited, Mohamed Tolba and the Chief Executive Officer of Sadeem Al-Kuwait, Adel Esbaitah Esthitah.
Funding was provided by the Saudi Fund for Development, Arab Bank for Economic Development for Africa (BADEA) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
The project is part of an ongoing government program to rehabilitate health facilities across the country.
But the two hospitals will not only bebefit from the facelift. Equipment to be used in diagnostics, theatre, labararoty and matenity will also be procured as well as acquisition of new ambulances and other vehicles.
In her remarks, Dr Diana Atwine said that the works will commence in a week’s time and will be completed in the next two years.
“We want to revamp the referral system so that Mulago hospital does not continue to receive minor cases. These rehabilitations will reduce maternal and child mortality but also improve health services,” Dr Atwine said.
She however cautioned the contractors against using bribes to with favors which she said will compromise quality and deprive Ugandans of the needed services.
“These works must be completed in two years, we don’t want the bureaucracy that hinders timely implementation. We want all sides to do their part because delays affect service delivery,” she further cautioned.
She also asked local leaders and area MPs to own the project and be at the fore front of supervision of the works so as to ensure value for money.
On his part, Tom Selwanga, the District Chairperson for Kayunga hailed government for the decision to renovate the health facility which he says serves people in three other surrounding districts.
“Kayunga gets patients from Nakasongola and Kamuli. So the expansion of the hospital will give us more room to serve better and also revamp systems that had broken down,” Selwanga said.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by several Members of Parliament from Yumbe and Kayunga, local leaders and health officials.