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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Entebbe General Hospital Administrators have called for an increase in the utility bill vote for the facility, before its elevation to a regional referral centre.
The request was made during a meeting with a team from the Ministry of Health, led by the Director Curative services Charles Olara. The meeting was intended to establish the condition of the health facility as a precursor to its elevation.
Entebbe has been as general hospital expected to serve up to 500,000 people in Wakiso district. However, the facility’s catchment area extended to the districts of Mpigi, Buvuma and Kalangala, with a general population size of 4.5 million people.
Robert Mpanga, the Senior Administrator at Entebbe General Hospital says that the facility currently has an outstanding electricity bill of 300 million Shillings and a water bill of 100 million Shillings. It also has a shortage in funding for outreaches and Primary Health Care, which he says must be catered for before the facility is upgraded.
According to the Ministry of Health Policy statement of the financial year 2019/2020, Entebbe General Hospital will be elevated to a Referral Facility, alongside Koboko, Amuria, Kaberamaido, Luweero and Mukono. This means that it will then have the capacity to serve up to two million people, from the current capacity of serving 500,000 People.
Charles Olara, the Director curative services at the Ministry of Health says the elevation of the facility will come with an increased budget and utilities that will enable Entebbe regional referral hospital to handle all cases it receives. This will include additional Staff, improved infrastructure, financing, medicines and several other health supplies.
Olara says that the government presumes the upgrading of Entebbe to a regional referral hospital will enable the facility also handle several complicated cases and increase staff for the facility so as to meet the growing number of people using it as a referral.
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