The construction of the Police Referral Hospital in Nsambya, Uganda has been delayed due to a lack of funds.

The police leadership allocated five acres of land in Nsambya police barracks for the construction of the hospital and seek funds from government to proceed with the construction.

According to AIGP Dr. Moses Byaruhanga, the Director of Health Services for Uganda Police Force, all steps and paperwork involved in building a general hospital for police in Nsambya, have been submitted to KCCA for approval though the budget is still a challenge.

He made the remarks as Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, the Deputy Inspector General of Police toured some of the Police Directorate of Health Services’ facilities in Nsambya barracks.

According to an interview with AIGP Byaruhanga on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, the police administration decided a few years ago to build a referral hospital for police and land was identified at Nsambya.

“The lack of a general hospital for police ensures that the force spends a lot of money in treating its officers elsewhere, yet the same could be done cheaply at their own hospital,” AIGP Byaruhanga said.

Adding, “Coordination of our patients would become easier if we had our own hospital. Elsewhere in the world, the best hospitals are for the forces. The same can happen here with our general hospital.”

According to the Police Health Director, they currently run 98 facilities across the country, having 717 staff, 17 doctors and offering services to both police officers and members of the general public.
Speaking in response, Maj Gen Katsigazi said that there will never be enough funds but prioritising is key.

“Budgetary concerns may be controlled by setting priorities because there is never enough money,” he said.

The Deputy IGP also hailed the staff of Police health services for serving the country diligently.

The police health services unit began as a maternity unit for officers’ spouses in the 1963, and become a directorate in 2013.