Members of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have raised serious concerns about the safety of high-value medical equipment at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital due to persistent waterlogging in the hospital’s powerhouse, which poses a risk of power short circuits.
The concern was raised during a session chaired by Deputy Committee Chairperson and Mawogola South MP, Goretti Namuga, as the committee interfaced with hospital officials led by Executive Director Dr. Charles Kabugo.
The discussion followed findings in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 2024.
The report highlighted that an inspection of Kiruddu Hospital’s power room which houses both the solar inverter system and the main power distribution board revealed stagnant water in a service duct beneath the high-voltage distribution board.
Dr. Kabugo expressed grave concern over the issue, warning that a short circuit could occur at any time and potentially destroy critical, costly medical equipment.
Meanwhile, PAC suspended a separate meeting with officials from Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital after they failed to adequately respond to key issues flagged in the Auditor General’s 2023–2024 report.
During the review, MPs were alarmed by findings that the hospital lacks vital equipment and infrastructure expected of a regional referral facility.
Officials, led by Executive Director Dr. John Bosco Nsubuga, were unable to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the management and utilization of allocated funds.
The committee noted several critical shortcomings: the hospital has no proper storage facility for medicines, no secure space for blood supplies from Nakasero Blood Bank, only one functional blood pressure machine, four out of the required 15 cesarean section kits, and no ultrasound scan.
Additionally, nine ICU machines remain unused.
By Francis Lubega
10th July 2025
End
