Kampala: Budyebo County Member of Parliament, Hon. Berunado Ssebugga Kimeze, has raised concern over the shortage of specialised health workers in public health facilities, warning that the staffing gaps could undermine the delivery of critical medical services.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, 22 October 2026, Ssebugga Kimeze commended the Ministry of Health for its efforts to provide healthcare services across the country, but said more attention was needed to address shortages affecting key medical cadres.
The legislator said while the country has made efforts to improve healthcare delivery, some specialised health workers remain acutely lacking, creating challenges for facilities that provide essential medical procedures.
He singled out anaesthetists, saying their services are particularly important during surgical operations and other procedures that require specialised medical care.
Ssebugga Kimeze cited Nabiswera Health Centre IV in Nakasongola District, saying the facility does not have an anaesthetist and has instead been relying on a specialist who travels from Masindi to support medical operations.
He said the situation places an additional burden on the health facility and could affect the timely provision of specialised services to patients who require medical operations.
The Budyebo County MP therefore called on the Ministry of Health to ensure that the recruitment and deployment of specialists takes into account the needs of health facilities outside major urban centres, where shortages can have a direct impact on communities.
Responding to the concern, the Minister said the Ministry of Health had received funding from the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the recruitment of specialists and that the process was already ongoing.
The Minister’s response provided some assurance that the staffing gap raised by the legislator is being addressed, although Ssebugga Kimeze’s submission highlighted the need for the recruitment exercise to translate into actual deployment of specialists at facilities facing the greatest shortages.
The MP’s intervention comes at a time when Parliament is closely scrutinising challenges in Uganda’s health sector, particularly staffing gaps and the availability of essential services at lower-level health facilities. Ssebugga Kimeze urged continued government action so that facilities such as Nabiswera Health Centre IV can provide timely and quality care to patients in Budyebo County and beyond.
