The US$20m loan passed by Parliament for the upgrading of Bugiri General Hospital has sparked a flurry of demands for a comprehensive review of the state of regional hospitals across the country.
The loan from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa was passed on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, with government injecting some US$3 million for additional works.
Upon completion, the project will increase Bugiri hospital's bed capacity from 100 to 250 beds, increase staff accommodation from 83 to 115 units, and have the facility upgraded to a regional referral hospital.
During the Thursday, 11 September 2025 plenary sitting, Members of Parliament urged the Ministry of Health to consider rehabilitating all dilapidated hospitals in the next financial year.
"Upon approval of the loan for the upgrading of Bugiri Hospital, I have received a number of petitions requesting that all hospitals be looked at and considered. Ministry of Health needs to comprehensively look at hospitals which are in a dilapidated state,” said Speaker Anita Among.
One of the petitions, according to Speaker Among, is from Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, which is seeking a full renovation of their facility.
“Leave Soroti Hospital alone; there are many hospitals that require to be looked at, such as Kamuli Hospital, also termed as ‘Mulago’, which receives patients from all neighbouring districts like Buyende and Jinja. That hospital should also be worked on, and the ministry should work on all regional hospitals, which are in a sorry state,” she said.
MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (NRM, Igara County West) said it is unfortunate that government is planning to upgrade other hospitals, yet there are some constituencies without health centre IVs.
However, the Speaker settled his worries by tasking the health ministry to prioritise such constituencies in the next national budget.
Hon. Agnes Apea Atim (NRM, Amolatar District Woman Representative) appealed to government to prioritise infrastructure in the health sector through affirmative action.
“Our health centres are sicker than the patients themselves. The issue of infrastructure is really wanting, and as a House, we need to prioritise and take affirmative action; if only we could stand our ground and pass a budget for at least a minimum renovation,” Apea said.
Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, concurred with the House, calling for a comprehensive plan to deal with the healthcare challenges across the country, but warned government against wasteful borrowing.
“We need a comprehensive plan to revamp healthcare in this country without doing it in piecemeal. Come with a comprehensive plan; tell us that for all your health centres, we are going to borrow money, however unsustainable that may be,” he said.
Hon. David Bahati, the Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Trade), standing in for the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, requested for more time to allow the Ministry of Health present a detailed report on the status of all hospitals in the country.
Bahati also welcomed the proposal for government to step up its involvement in public-private partnerships to revamp the health sector.
