By Sumayya Nanfuka
Uganda Ministry of health has suspended the release of over Shs 2bn grant of Primary Health Care (PHC) to 196 health centers which are not registered with the medical Bureaus for the funds, officials said.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said it has been established that some health facilities do not meet the criteria as per the provisions of PHC grant guidelines.
She said government has been remitting Shs 2.1bn annually to these facilities, but hastened to add these are mainly profit and non-profit private health facilities located in different parts of the country.
“The suspended grant was the release of first quarter financial year 2016/17 Primary Health Care NGO grants to these facilities,” she said.
The officer said the health centres where grant was suspended, were not registered and certified by NGO board as non-profit private health centers.
Some of these health centres include, Mbarara Community hospital with the budget of Shs 77m, Mayanja Memorial Hospital in Mbarara (Shs 64m), Mayanja Memorial Medical in Mbarara (Shs 33m), Kanginima Hospital in Pallisa (Shs 59m), Wagagai Health Centre and RuthGay Lord Hospital Maganjo both in Wakiso (Shs 20m).
Others are Family Care Hospital in Kira (Shs 64m), Kabasa Memorial hospital in Butaleja (Shs 15m), Kaabong dispensary (Shs 20m), Ongutoi health centre in Amuria (Shs 13m), Siita save life clinic in Budaka (Shs 17m), All saints Buchanagandi health in Kibuku (Shs 14m), Jjanda Medical Centre in Kira (Shs 12m) and Mc Leod Russel Uganda in Kyenjojo (Shs 11m).
Aceng said, government has been supporting non-profit private health facilities since 2001 with PHC non-wage and development grants.
She said, the support was intended to cover health service delivery gaps in areas where public health facilities are lacking or the level of the existing facility is not effectively providing health care services to the communities.
However Aceng said, the suspension would be lifted for only health centers that meet the criteria of health facility after verified by NGO board and their funds will be paid.
“Other criteria include, strategically located health centres especially in rural areas and hard-to-reach populations,” she said.
She said health center must be supervised and audited by public governance bodies and the agreement documented in a Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Health and signed by both parties.
“Health centres should show evidence of participation in community health activities and subsidizing health care services,” she said.
All in all a health centre must also have evidence that it is delivering the Uganda National Minimum Healthcare package and is reporting using the Health Management Information System (HMIS) tools to the local governments and health Ministry.
Government suspends Shs2.1billion on health centers
