ARUA HOSPITAL STAFF HOUSING PROJECT STALLS OVER FUNDING GAPS

State of the stalled staff housing facility at Arua Regional Referral Haospital.

By Federick Dramadri

Arua City

A seven storied facility under construction by Ministry of Health at Arua regional referral hospital has stalled for close to five years over lack of financing.

According the records from the Hospital Board the works were initially expected to commence during 2015/16 financial year but delayed up to 2018, and that within the few working periods’ government committed 6.3 billion shillings from the ground floor while pending arrears of shs. 3 billion including an excess 586 million shillings that accrued as interest for the delayed pay and unpaid certificates of 1.01 billion to the contractor.

Dr. Sam Okuonzi Agatre, the Chairman Hospital Management Board said they had engaged government several times over the matter but no fruitful information came through.

“That building stalled about 10 years since that it begun to be built because of inadequate funds from government, currently we have a round figure of 4.3 Billion which we require to complete the works, so we dis-engaged that contractor two years ago.”

The facility 7 floored staff housing project contracted to WAP engineering Construction Company by Ministry of Health was expected to have 21 Residential units in a bid to address late coming and missing on duty among the staff of Arua regional referral hospital and improve service delivery.

Twaib Feni the Executive Director West Nile Regional Civil Society Network acknowledged that fact that most of the health financing in Uganda is donor dependent and appeals for proper budging from local sources.

“Most of the funding for Health services we get it externally, government needed to put its own money in Health sector, the budget we allocate for health sector locally is minimal and these projects that have been started needed to be completed before commencing others to avoid wastage.”

On the other hand Atima Jackson the Member of Parliament for Arua central division who was part of the Public Accounts Committee PAC central government that visited the site last year challenged the hospital administration to share information with leaders as early as possible for close follow-ups.

“I didn’t get a report on the project but it is worth pushing and getting this facility completed so that the excuse of health workers being absent, health workers coming late should be addressed, I will implore government and I will follow it with government so that, the facility which is nearing completion is completed.”

Government of Uganda through Ministry of Health launched the staff housing project during the 2013/14 financial year, targeting accommodation for staffs in the 14 regional referral hospitals across the country.