Uganda’s Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja has today convened an emergency meeting involving figure heads for several government agencies to solve the ongoing water crisis in key health centers.
Key figure heads from government ministries and departments, including National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Health and other agencies are discussing ways to iron out a long lasting solution to the ongoing water crisis, majorly in government health centers.
This follows the recent disconnection of water supply to several public health centers countrywide over non-payment of bills.
Runners of government health centers like Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, China Friendship Hospital in Naguru and others were left speculating, and in serious destitution after NWSC cut-off water supply yesterday, which grounded key operations.
NWSC says Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital’s unpaid bills have soared to alarming levels, estimated at Shs. 480 million, and yesterday evening, water supply to this health facility was cut-off, leaving patients to pay a heavy price for the sins they know nothing about.
Key Healthcare services including surgery, midwifery operations and other key activities absolutely dependent on water availability were grounded because of this unforeseen and unplanned disconnection.
Talking to 88.8 CBS FM this morning, Hon. Nabbanja said news of water disconnection in key health facilities is shocking, and that she was not aware of any such sad developments, until the beginning of this week.
The outspoken Prime Minister assured Ugandans that the emergency meeting will breed positive outcomes, marked by finding a ‘once and for all’ solution to this water crisis.
“I will work on those issues, I will take the matter seriously. I got to know of such developments yesterday in the news and as you know, you can’t be aware of every happenings in the country. I have summoned them and we are going to come up with a solution today,” said Hon. Nabbanja.
Earlier this year, Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Hon. Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba tabled to the house, a list of government agencies and departments who have earned themselves notoriety because of defaulting water bills.
Hon. Mpuuga called for investigations into the use of funds annually allocated to these agencies by Parliament to clear utility bills, wondering where these monies disappear to, attributing this to corruption and brazen mismanagement of public funds.
“Officials from National Water say they are finding it hard to expand water supply and provision in new cities like Masaka because government agencies have not cleared their water bills, yet these agencies use large quantities and water, accumulating huge bills.”
“What is so surprising, these agencies are allocated funds in the national budget annually to pay utilities, including water and electricity.”
“The Finance Minister was given a directive to remit funds to cater for utilities in government departments on a short notice, after which he also ordered those responsible to clear the bills immediately, I don’t know who is becoming insolent to who, but all this confusion tantamounts to misuse of taxpayers money,” Mpuuga wondered.
Dr. Charles Ayume, Chairperson for Health Committee at Parliament said government health centers are given enough funds every year to clear water and electricity bills, and wondered why there was disconnection of water supply due to non-payment.
Other government agencies, including Uganda Police and Mulago National Referral Hospital have in the past suffered the same fate, paying a heavy price due to frequent water supply disconnections occasioned by non-payment of bills.
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