HOW LACK OF FUND IS DELAYING CONSTRUCTION OF UGANDA POLICE HOSPITAL

Police have said lack of funds has delayed the construction of the force’s referral hospital in Nsambya.

“We went through all the processes of the construction of a general hospital for police. We have seven acres of land in Nsambya where the police are supposed to construct the hospital. All paperwork has been done and submitted to KCCA for approval but the challenge is the budget,” AIGP Dr. Moses Byaruhanga, the Director of Health Services in the Uganda Police Force said on Tuesday.

He was speaking during a visit by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi to some of the facilities of the police Directorate of Health Services in Nsambya barracks.

Started as a maternity unit for officers’ wives in 1963, the police health services unit became a directorate in 2013.

Speaking on Tuesday, AIGP Dr.Byaruhanga said the police management a few years ago thought it wise to construct a referral hospital for the police, and the land was identified at Nsambya.

“Currently there is no budget for capital development. We just pray in the future God helps our economy to improve then resources are allocated in that direction but the vision and will are there. The top management endorsed this. It has been discussed and endorsed several times by the Police policy and advisory committee but the only challenge is money.”

Makes cases for hospital

AIGP Dr. Byaruhanga said 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 hospital.

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

The Deputy Inspector General of Police couldn’t agree more about the police hospital being a game changer.

“If you go out of the country, the best hospitals belong to forces. All these presidents go to either a military or police hospital but here it is the reverse. We can change it by getting leaders to come to Nsambya referral hospital. Our people trust your medicine and will therefore come to this hospital.”

According to the police health director, they currently run 98 facilities across the country, have 717 staff, and 17 doctors, and offer services to both police officers and members of the general public.

He noted that the lack of enough funds has seen several ideas not implemented by the directorate crippling its work.

“There is limited coverage of our services across the country because the police budget to National Medical Stores is still low but also the few staff members we have, can’t allow open up more facilities. There is inadequate transport but good enough police are procuring five more ambulances. Nonetheless, heads of department have no vehicle for transport.”

Speaking in response, the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi said there will never be enough funds but said prioritizing is key.

“The issues of budget constraints raised can be addressed by making priorities because money will never be enough. On the issue of accommodation, we are trying our level best to address it and with time, it will be rectified,” the deputy IGP said.

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

SOURCE: AllAfrica