The government has provided sh13.39 billion to upgrade health centers from level III to level IV and to renovate existing health facilities in the financial year 2023/24.
This is part of the government’s plan to ensure each constituency has at least a health center IV and each sub-county has a health center III.
This information was shared in a report from the budget committee of Parliament on the National Budget Framework Paper for the years 2024/25 to 2028/29, which Parliament approved with changes on January 31, 2024.
The committee found during its visits that many health centers were in bad condition, affecting services like maternal and child health, emergency care, and basic healthcare.
Parliament agreed with the committee’s suggestion to add sh16.61 billion to upgrade more health centers to level IV and renovate existing ones. Also, sh7.7 billion was proposed for completing housing for CT scans.
The budget committee also asked the Ministry of Finance to provide an extra sh16.2 billion in the next financial year to renovate and equip hospitals and health centers. This is to reduce the need for patients to go to big hospitals, making them less crowded and able to offer specialized care.
During the budget review for the financial year 2023/24, Parliament learned about different budget allocations for building and fixing regional referral hospitals in places like Arua, Fort Portal, Kiruddu, Gulu, Lira, and Soroti. These funds aim to improve infrastructure and services at these hospitals to enhance healthcare across the country.