The Parliamentary Committee on Health has renewed its call for Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital to be upgraded to a National Referral Hospital to alleviate the burden on Mulago National Referral Hospital.

The recommendation was made on Monday, January 13, 2024, during a review of the 2025/26 budget framework papers for regional referral hospitals.

Hon. Margaret Ayebare, Mbarara District Woman MP, highlighted the hospital’s extensive catchment area, which includes 12 districts and patients from Kabale, Masaka, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

“Elevating Mbarara Hospital will enable it to handle the increasing patient numbers effectively,” Ayebare argued.

Hon. George Bhoka Didi (NRM, Obongi County) emphasized the need to decongest Mulago by establishing national referral hospitals in major regions such as Mbarara, Mbale, Jinja, and Gulu. “This would bring services closer to the people and ease pressure on Mulago,” he said.

Rushenyi County MP, Hon. Naome Kabasharira, noted that while Mbarara Hospital has advanced medical facilities like dialysis equipment, it operates in outdated infrastructure and requires increased funding to meet demand.

Dr. Deus Twesigye, the Acting Hospital Director, pointed out key challenges, including the lack of a regional equipment maintenance workshop and high costs of maintaining critical equipment like CT scans and oxygen plants. He revealed that running the hospital’s 250 kV generator adds significantly to operational expenses.

Inadequate funding was also highlighted by other hospital directors. Dr. Ibrahim Bwaga of Hoima Regional Referral Hospital called for an increased budget to complete a Shs33.6 billion maternal and child health complex. “We received Shs1.15 billion, which is insufficient even for the substructure,” Dr. Bwaga lamented.

Utility arrears and high operational costs remain pressing issues for regional referral hospitals. Mbarara Hospital reportedly owes Shs716.3 million in water and electricity bills, Hoima owes Shs137.6 million, while Jinja Hospital requires Shs3 billion to settle utility costs.

Hon. Elisa Rutahigwa (NRM, Rukungiri Municipality) suggested addressing electricity losses caused by poor wiring to reduce utility expenses.

“Technical assessments are necessary to identify and fix leakages in these hospitals,” Rutahigwa proposed.