Kampala, 25 October: Uganda requires about 320 million US dollar (ca. 1,9 milliarder DKR) to rehabilitate and equip its hospitals and health centres, Dr Sam Zaramba has said.
Zaramba, who is the Director General of Ugandas Health Services, revealed this during the opening of the 4th National Health Assembly in Kampala Wednesday.
He said emphasis on the health sector strategic plan II is on consolidation of existing health facilities to enhance their functionality in terms of renovations and equipment.
Zaramba said renovation and remodelling is underway in Fort portal, Abim, Kaabong, Tororo and Mbale hospitals. He addes that construction of blood banks was underway at regional referral hospitals.
Zaramba said the Ministry of Health is in its final stages of establishing an essential medical equipment credit line to harness and harmonise resources towards addressing the inadequacy of equipment at the health centres.
According to the annual health sector performance report 2005-6, the essential medical equipment credit line will initially be limited to essential medical equipment that is used at health centres II, III and IV.
The report says a ministry of health study conducted in 2002-3 indicates that in 19 districts, only 9 percent of the health centre IVs and 3 per cent of health centre IIIs lack the necessary equipment.
Presenting the health sector performance report, Zaramba said although improvements had been registered in sexual and reproductive health, the disease burden of preventable and communicable diseases still remains a big burden to the country.
He said although the number of women delivering in health centres grew from 25 per cent in 2004-5 to 29 per cent in 2005-6, it is still far below what is expected.
Ugandas First Lady, Ms Janet Museveni, who was chief guest at the occasion called for community mobilisation as a strategy to improve safe motherhood and health. She said in the past, effective delivery of the government programmes was enhanced by high participation of community leaders.
Kilder: The Monitor (Kampala) og The Push Journal
