KAMPALA – Kabale District Woman MP, Hon. Enid Origumisiriza, raised concern over the prolonged delay in the completion and operationalisation of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, warning that the situation continued to put the lives of critically ill patients at risk.
While presenting her submission on the floor of Parliament, Origumisiriza reminded the government that construction of the ICU had commenced in September 2023 at a cost of Shs8.5 billion, with the project initially expected to be completed within 15 months.
However, she noted that by November 2026, the facility was still not operational, despite the time that had elapsed since construction began.
The legislator explained that the delay had continued to affect patients requiring specialised critical care, many of whom were still being referred to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, approximately 140 kilometres away from Kabale.
She expressed concern that some patients failed to survive the long journey to Mbarara, highlighting the urgent need to have the ICU completed and operational to improve access to emergency medical services in the region.
Origumisiriza consequently asked the Prime Minister to provide an update on the project’s current physical and financial progress, seeking clarification on the work completed and the funds spent on the facility.
She further pressed the government to explain the actual cause of the delay and provide a specific completion date, including when the facility would be commissioned to begin serving patients.
In response, the Minister of Health, Hon. Ayume, acknowledged that construction of two Intensive Care Units at Kabale and Arua Regional Referral Hospitals had been underway.
However, Ayume explained that the projects had been implemented under UKREP funding, but the project period had expired, affecting their progress.
The Minister reassured residents of Kabale and Arua that a new project was being planned to address the outstanding ICU infrastructure needs at the two regional referral hospitals.
He explained that the proposed intervention would cover both Kabale and Arua Regional Referral Hospitals.
The response provided hope for renewed government intervention in the two hospitals, although the Minister did not give a specific completion date or commissioning timeline for the Kabale ICU.
