President Yoweri Museveni has urged officials at the Ministry of Health to expedite the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an Austrian firm, VAMED Engineering Gmbh, for the construction of a specialized Teaching Hospital at Gulu University.
The proposal to build a modern 324-bed capacity hospital in Gulu City was presented by VAMED Engineering Gmbh from Austria last year.
The project was set to be financed by the Germany Export Credit Agency Covered Financing to the tune of approximately 618 billion shillings (155.2 million Euros) on a turnkey basis.
President Museveni questioned why the Health Ministry had not taken up the opportunity, noting that VAMED Engineering Gmbh offered financing at an interest rate below 1 percent, significantly lower than the 5 percent interest rates from past Finance Ministry agreements. He emphasized that the project could greatly benefit the country and should not be delayed.
The President directed both the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to work with the Attorney General to promptly finalize an MoU with VAMED Engineering Gmbh to construct the hospital in Gulu. Additionally, he instructed the Ministry of Sports and Education to allocate 20 acres of land at Gulu University for the hospital.
Once completed, the hospital is expected to provide a wide range of medical services, including clinical services, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, radiology, surgery, laboratory services, and more. The facility aims to enhance healthcare access and capacity in the region. Efforts are underway to advance this vital healthcare project.
Efforts to obtain comments from Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
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