The unpaid arrears and subsequent delay in the handover of the magnificent building worth shs7.4 billion, intended for intern doctors at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, are not only impacting the hospital but also causing hardship for the common man in Uganda.
Since the contract between the Ministry of Health and Musuuza Building Contractors expired on June 31, 2022, the building has remained idle, inaccessible to the hospital authorities. The contractor has refused to hand it over due to unpaid arrears totaling 790 million shillings.
Sources have shed light on the contractor’s demand for full payment of the outstanding amount. They claim that these arrears reflect additional expenditures incurred as a result of the price escalation of building materials during the Covid-19 lockdown from 2020 to 2022. The contractor insists that the hospital must first commit to settling their debts before the building can be transferred.
The consequences of this financial dispute have reached far beyond the hospital’s administration. The common man in Uganda is suffering the consequences of an unused building that was meant to benefit intern doctors. The delay hinders the hospital’s ability to accommodate and provide proper facilities for these medical professionals, exacerbating the challenges faced by the local community.
The Ministry of Health and the hospital administration are acutely aware of the impact this situation has on Ugandans. Efforts to resolve the dispute and secure the handover of the building have faced significant challenges, as the contractor remains steadfast in their demand for payment.
As the days pass without a resolution, the unused building stands as a symbol of wasted resources and missed opportunities. The plight of the common man, who depends on the healthcare services provided by Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, underscores the urgency of finding a swift resolution.
The government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, must prioritize resolving the financial impasse to ensure that the building becomes operational and serves its intended purpose. Only then can the burden on the common man be alleviated, and the potential benefits of the intern doctors’ building be realized.
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