Members of the Health Committee have protested the Shs2.7 Billion Supplementary budget request by the ministry of health to supervise construction works at Lubowa Hospital.
The controversial budget is part of the Shs31.8 Billion supplementary budget for the health ministry needed to finance five additional items.
The Shs31.8bn supplementary budget request which was tabled by the Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng indicated that Shs2.7 Billion of the supplementary was meant for the supervision of the works at the International Specialised Hospital, Lubowa.
Legislators queried why the Ministry had not been at the initial stages of processing the National Budget for 2023/2024 which has since shifted to the advanced stages.
A section of the legislators on the committee wondered why the government continues to sink taxpayer’s money in the stalled International Specialized Hospital Lubowa whose works for long-stalled, instead of facilitating the refurbishment of dilapidated sections of Mulago National Referral Hospital.
The chairperson of the health committee Dr. Charles Ayume insisted that no funds would be endorsed for the supervision of the International Specialized Hospital Lubowa.
Listed also is Shs8 Billion is planned to cover outstanding allowances for covid-19 staff arrears and, Shs11.5 Billion for settling court awards to the Sino Africa medicines.
MPs requested that government considers settling arrears of staff that worked as the country struggled to contain the most recent Ebola scourge in parts of the country.