Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament from the Acholi sub region have asked the government to increase funding to St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu.
The call follows the overwhelming demand for health care services at the Hospital with the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
The hospital has largely survived and depended on donations which accounts for 67% of the funds, 27% are generated from the hospital bills while the government only provides 5% of the support.
However, MPs have said that the government support to the hospital is meagre and demanded an increment by 30%
The Nwoya County Member of Parliament Tony Awany says that the government needs to realign its budgetary support to private health facilities.
The Kilak North Member of Parliament Anthony Akol however noted that support is needed considering the patients that the facility receives majority are disadvantaged.
Rev. Fr. Charles Onen, the area Member of Parliament for Laroo-Pece division has appealed to the cabinet and the Ministry of Health to prioritize Lacor Hospital looking at its catchment areas.
Dr Dominic Atim, the founder member of Dr Corti Foundation says the hospital is committed to the provision of healthcare services to vulnerable communities at affordable prices.
Atim explained that they have always convinced donors to support their operations amidst the rising number of demands for the services offered which are affected by resource constraints.
However, the hospital annual budget is 23 Billion Shillings while the government provides 600 million shillings under the Primary Health Care-PHC.
Gilbert Olanya, the Secretary Acholi Parliamentary Group however noted that the team will meet the officials from the Ministry of Health during the week to discuss the progress of the support.
However when contacted, Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health says that the Ministry intends to increase funding to Lacor when funds are available.
“Lacor has tremendously supported the local communities and so is our wish that the support could have increased earlier,“ Dr Atwine further noted.
Founded in 1959 as a faith-based nonprofit private health facility with a 30-bed capacity, the hospital has progressively grown in the past years and currently has a bed capacity of 483.
However, at the peak of the Lord Resistance Army-LRA insurgency, many health facilities in the sub-region collapsed placing Lacor with the burden of health care providers in the region.
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