Members of Parliament on the Health Committee have identified the lack of motivation among health workers as a critical barrier to improving health service delivery in Uganda.
This concern arose during the committee’s meeting with officials from Moroto, Soroti, and Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospitals, who presented their budget framework papers for the 2025/2026 financial year on Tuesday.
Michael Odur, Principal Hospital Administrator at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, highlighted a need for UGX 1.7 billion to fill vacant specialist positions. He also emphasized the urgent requirement for staff housing, stating, “The hospital has very limited staff accommodation, with less than 17% of staff housed, affecting timely service delivery. We request UGX 4 billion to construct a 16-unit storied staff house.”
Dr. Stephen Pande, Director of Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, reported that the hospital is only 23% staffed, with UGX 2.051 billion needed to address severe shortages across various departments. “The Ministry of Finance should progressively allocate resources for the rollout of new health sector staffing norms, emphasizing critical health cadres,” he said.
Similarly, Dr. Benedicto Watmon, Director of Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, disclosed that UGX 2.068 billion allocated for wages in the proposed budget has not been included in the framework. He requested an additional UGX 1.75 billion for critical health cadres and UGX 313.3 million to raise staffing levels from 22.5% to 35%.
Florence Nebanda, Woman MP for Butaleja, expressed concern over the exodus of medical specialists due to poor motivation. “We lose specialists to Kenyan hospitals, and when we visit, we find many of our doctors there. As we plan, we must include incentives to retain our health workers,” she said.
Nebanda also noted that while regional referral hospitals have acquired equipment for advanced medical procedures, they lack specialists to operate them. “Last financial year, the Health Minister said there was no money for recruitment but promised something this financial year. The Committee must prioritize this issue,” she added.
George Bhoka Didi, MP for Obongi County, decried the inadequate human resources in Karamoja’s health facilities, especially at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital. He pointed out that many qualified youths from the region are volunteering in districts such as Abim, Kotido, Kaabong, and Moroto but remain off the payroll.
“We need to understand why the Health Service Commission has failed to recruit and deploy these qualified individuals eager to serve their people,” Bhoka said.
Beyond resource allocation, MPs underscored the importance of improving the quality of health services, including customer care. Joseph Ruyonga, Chairperson of the Health Committee, urged hospital directors to prioritize patient satisfaction.
“If it means holding Continuing Medical Education sessions every two weeks, let us do it. Patients must experience good reception in these facilities,” Ruyonga emphasized.