The Ministry of Health has announced the allocation of 10 acres of land in Naguru by the Uganda Land Commission for the construction of a new facility for the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI).
This development was revealed by the Minister of Health, Ruth Aceng, during the NRM Manifesto Week performance presentation on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at the Office of the President.
Aceng said that the government has secured a $70 million (over UGX 258 billion) loan to finance the construction, which is scheduled to commence in January 2025.
She explained that the date was set to allow President Museveni to complete his countrywide tour for project commissioning.
“Construction works will commence in January. We set the date to give time for the president to finish his countrywide tour to commission this significant project,” Aceng said.
Regarding other health infrastructure developments, Aceng shared that construction of the Lubowa International Specialized Hospital has reached 45% completion, with work now on the sixth floor before its new completion date for the hospital, which is set for December 30, 2025.
“The completion of Lubowa International Specialized Hospital is ongoing at 45%, and we are on the 6th floor,” she revealed.
She further highlighted the progress in decentralizing cancer treatment services, with the Gulu Regional Cancer Center now functional following its completion in 2023.
Similar centers in Arua, Jinja, and Mbarara will commence construction early next year, while funding for the Mbale Cancer Center has been secured.
Additionally, 14 regional referral hospitals have been equipped with CT scans, exceeding the initial plan for six hospitals. The upgrade of Kayunga and Yumbe general hospitals to regional referral status has also been completed.
“Kayunga and Yumbe General Hospitals have been successfully upgraded and are now regional referral hospitals,” Aceng noted.
The Ministry also highlighted improvements in lower-level health centres, including the transformation of 412 Health Centre IIs into Health Centre IIIs and the construction and renovation of theatres in 37 Health Centre IVs.
“In the financial year 2022/2023, we renovated and constructed theatres in 13 Health Centre IVs, fulfilling our commitment to strengthen surgical services,” she said.
Aceng further revealed that 976 staff housing units have been constructed, surpassing the original commitment of 500 units, with over 100 old units renovated. However, she acknowledged that some remain unoccupied, particularly in Karamoja.
These developments, coupled with the establishment of the Gulu Regional Equipment Maintenance Workshop, underscore the Ministry’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure and service delivery across Uganda.
