MPs call for improved health service delivery under UgIFT programme

KAMPALA, September 3, 2026 — Legislators have urged the government to improve staffing at health centres across the country, saying this will enhance health service delivery, particularly for Ugandans living in remote areas.

The call followed a statement by the Minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, on the status and impact of the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers [UgIFT] health infrastructure programme and the proposed framework for UgIFT II.

Presenting the statement on Wednesday during a sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth, Baryomunsi said 373 Health Centre IIIs had been established under the programme through the upgrading of existing Health Centre IIs and construction of new facilities in sub-counties that previously had no health facilities.

“This represents a major investment in bringing health services closer to the population and addressing historical geographical inequities in access to health care,” he said.

He added that the proportion of sub-counties with access to a Health Centre III had consequently increased from 61 percent to 78 percent.

Baryomunsi revealed that the World Bank had provided Shs 453 billion for the upgrading, construction and equipping of health facilities, while the government had contributed Shs 270 billion for the maintenance and repair of buildings and equipment.

He said that during the programme period, the government had recruited 4,628 health workers.

“At Health Centre IVs, we have had a staffing provision of 49 health workers. Under the new structure approved by the government, we shall have 130 health workers, including five medical doctors. We shall also upgrade all Health Centre IVs to community hospitals,” Baryomunsi said.

He told Parliament that UgIFT II would focus on strengthening human resources for health, ensuring the availability of essential medicines and supplies, and improving the sustainability of health infrastructure, among other priorities.

“The ministry plans to expand, rehabilitate and re-equip 100 dilapidated Health Centre IIIs across the country and provide staff accommodation. We also plan to establish 50 new Health Centre IIIs and 50 Health Centre IVs in heavily populated and hard-to-reach sub-counties,” Baryomunsi added.

Soroti District Woman Member of Parliament, Anna Adeke proposed an audit by the Office of the Auditor General to establish the exact number of UgIFT-supported facilities that are non-functional and determine what needs to be done to make them operational.

She also proposed that the Ministries of Finance and Public Service consider a UgIFT-specific human resource arrangement to revise the wage bill cap for local governments whenever UgIFT facilities are ready to be operationalised.

“It is a contradiction to build state-of-the-art facilities while maintaining a restrictive recruitment cap on local governments. Many health centres that have been upgraded are currently managed by overstretched nursing assistants or single midwives working 48-hour shifts,” Adeke said.

Kwania District Woman Representative Kenny Auma said some Health Centre IIs that had been upgraded to Health Centre IIIs were not operational because of the absence of key health personnel.

“Most of these health facilities have few nurses, and there are no clinical officers. The government needs to recruit more nurses, midwives and clinical officers to attend to patients at those health centres,” Auma said.

Entebbe Municipality MP, Steven Shyaka disclosed that Entebbe Referral Hospital had only 260 staff against a required workforce of 1,195. He also said the facility faced inadequate drug supplies.

“Entebbe is an international gateway to our country, but when you look at the health facilities, there are few nurses to attend to patients. There is also no adequate office space for doctors, which affects doctor-patient confidentiality,” he said.

Joseph Ssewungu, the Kalungu West MP, urged the Health ministry to support missionary and faith-based health facilities across the country through the deployment of doctors and nurses, as well as the provision of medical supplies, noting that such facilities complement government health services.

Peter Okot, the Tochi County MP, raised concerns over poor access to electricity in many sub-counties where UgIFT health facilities had been established. He urged the government to address the challenge under the proposed UgIFT II programme.

Baryomunsi committed to engaging legislators during visits to their respective constituencies to ensure a comprehensive assessment of health facilities and their service delivery challenges.

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