The Ministry of Health has rolled out the construction of a modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Arua Regional Referral Hospital in Arua City. Funded by the World Bank under the Uganda COVID-19 Response and Emergency Preparedness Project (UCREP), the project is valued at Shillings 7.9 billion.
The construction is projected to take approximately 15 months, according to the contract document. George Otim, the Commissioner of Infrastructure at the Ministry of Health, stated during the site handover at Arua Regional Referral Hospital Tuesday that the completed ICU will provide the region with the capability to treat illnesses that are usually referred to health facilities in Kampala.
He highlighted that the unit will also alleviate congestion in the Out Patients Department (OPD), which currently struggles to manage patient load.
The need for this ICU was underscored during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the inadequacy of ICU equipment and limited space contributed to the loss of several lives at Arua Regional Referral Hospital.
Dr. Alex Andema, the Director of Arua Regional Referral Hospital, emphasized the significance of this initiative due to the hospital’s strategic location, serving patients from Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and accommodating refugees.
David Businge, Project Manager of HASO Engineers Company Limited, the firm responsible for the ICU’s construction, expressed confidence in completing the project within the designated timeframe. Businge assured local authorities of delivering quality work throughout the construction process.
Currently serving twelve districts and Arua City in the West Nile sub-region, Arua Regional Referral Hospital extends its services to patients from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Notably, records show that approximately 5 percent of the hospital’s daily Out Patients Department (OPD) attendees are refugees.