Jinja Regional Referral Hospital has requested Shs500 million from the government to establish dialysis services, aiming to ease the burden on patients who currently travel long distances and face heavy traffic to access similar services at Kiruddu Hospital in Kampala.
Dr. Alfred Yayi, the hospital’s director, made the appeal while presenting the facility’s 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper before Parliament’s Health Committee. He emphasized the growing need for dialysis services in the Busoga region, noting that organizations have already offered to provide dialysis machines. However, government funding is required to procure reagents and cover operational costs.
“Patients travel weekly to Kiruddu for dialysis, and there is overwhelming demand for us to start providing these services,” Yayi said. “We have the space and are partnering with an organization ready to supply the equipment. All we need are resources for reagents and utilities to offer the services at a subsidized cost. On behalf of the people of Busoga, we request an allocation of at least Shs500 million to support the immediate start of dialysis services.”
The hospital management also requested funding for the construction of boreholes and water harvesting facilities to address persistent water shortages and arrears due to high bills. Yayi explained that the hospital faces frequent water supply disruptions caused by outdated plumbing infrastructure, leading to substantial leakages and increased costs.
“We need Shs300 million to overhaul the entire plumbing system. Our current water arrears with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) are significant. To address this, we propose establishing a motorized borehole and enhancing water harvesting facilities,” Yayi noted.
While acknowledging recent infrastructure improvements, such as the construction of an oxygen plant serving the Busoga region, Yayi pointed out that a lack of operational funding has limited the facility’s reach. Despite its capacity to supply the entire region, the hospital has scaled down its supply due to the high electricity costs required to operate the plant.
“The oxygen plant requires about Shs20 million in electricity monthly. These investments need additional resources for maintenance. Without adequate funding, it becomes difficult to operate them effectively,” he said.
Jinja Hospital has also requested Shs10 billion for the renovation of its aging infrastructure, much of which dates back to the 1930s. Yayi revealed that the facility received only Shs16 million this year for development, which is grossly insufficient given the dilapidated state of the hospital’s buildings.
“Our assessment indicates a need for Shs10 billion to revamp the entire infrastructure. The development funding gap is enormous, and it affects service delivery,” he added.
Yayi urged Parliament to increase the hospital’s medicines and medical supplies budget from Shs1.9 billion to Shs4 billion and the utilities budget from less than Shs1 billion to Shs3 billion.
Additionally, the hospital requires Shs300 million for equipment maintenance, yet only Shs133 million has been allocated. Another Shs3 billion is needed to fence both hospital campuses to enhance security, while Shs4 billion is required to complete staff housing. The hospital has already invested Shs3.5 billion in the first phase of staff housing construction.
Yayi also raised concerns about the absence of a regional blood bank in Jinja, forcing the hospital to rely on Nakasero Blood Bank, which often experiences delays due to traffic congestion along the Mukono-Kampala route. However, he revealed plans to begin constructing a regional blood bank for the Busoga region later this year.
“We lack a regional blood bank and currently depend on Nakasero, which presents logistical challenges. Working with the Ministry of Health and partners, we hope to commence construction of a blood bank for Busoga by the end of the year,” Yayi stated.
The hospital also highlighted the need for a proper perimeter fence to address security concerns, noting that the absence of one has resulted in frequent theft of hospital equipment and patients’ personal belongings.
The article was originally published by Parliament Watch