Tensions are rising at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital as stakeholders express outrage over the delayed handover of the completed intern hostel residence. This delay has left intern doctors without accommodation, forcing them to rent housing far from the hospital premises, causing significant inconvenience.
Last month, the government deployed a team of 41 medical interns to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, who were expected to occupy the newly constructed hostel. However, the hostel remains unoccupied, raising concerns among hospital authorities and the broader community.
Speaking during the handover ceremony of the hospital’s ICU construction, Mr. Bakaki Ronald, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Kabale, openly questioned the situation. He suggested that there might be collusion between the contractor and the Ministry of Health, adding that he had contacted the contractor who claimed to have contributed additional funds to the project beyond what was stipulated in the contract.
“We need an immediate resolution to the intern doctors’ hostel issue,” Mr. Bakaki stated. “Perhaps the contractor is conniving with the Ministry of Health or something else. When I inquired further, he advised me to leave the matter to the Ministry of Health.”
Dr. Annania Muhunde, the Board Chairperson of Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, expressed her concerns despite several engagements with relevant stakeholders. She emphasized that the hostel’s matter remains unresolved, despite government awareness of its importance to the region’s healthcare sector.
Dr. Patrick Tusiime, the Commissioner of Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, responded to the accusations of collusion. He stated that there was no such collusion between the ministry and the contractor. He assured stakeholders that their concerns would be conveyed to the ministry’s top leadership, promising to provide feedback on the matter.
The intern hostel, valued at Shs 7.8 billion, was funded by the Ugandan government through the Ministry of Health. Construction, carried out by Musuuza Building Contractors Limited, commenced in May 2017, with an expected completion date of June 3, 2022. Despite the construction being completed, it has come to light that the contractor has refused to hand over the structure to hospital authorities until the government settles an unpaid balance of Shs 790 million due to increased prices of building materials between 2020 and 2022.
This ongoing dispute threatens to disrupt the crucial internship program and has raised questions about the transparency of the construction project’s management. The resolution of this matter will be closely monitored by both healthcare professionals and the community, as the timely provision of accommodation for intern doctors is critical to the region’s healthcare system.
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