Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng expressed that the Malaba Health Centre III in Tororo District would not be upgraded to Health Centre IV, despite requests from local leaders.
During her spot supervision visit to the health facility on February 13, Dr. Aceng conveyed the government’s decision regarding the upgrade request.
Her visit aimed to identify service quality gaps and propose solutions to improve healthcare access.
Dr. Aceng stated that there were insufficient justifications for upgrading the facility and questioned the credibility of provided statistics influencing government decisions.
She suggested recalling staff deployed in anticipation of the upgrade and mentioned potential revocation of facility coding for benefits.
Local officials, including Peter Rogers Imailuk and John Okeya, expressed concerns about the decision, citing potential disadvantages for residents and neighboring regions.
Additionally, the Minister indicated the consideration of recalling a gene machine stationed at Port Malaba due to underutilization.
During the visit, scrutiny was also placed on the expenditures of the private wing at Tororo District General Referral Hospital, with Dr. Aceng advising potential disbandment due to financial discrepancies.
Other facilities visited during the tour included Mukuju Health Centre IV, Mulanda Health Centre IV, Nagongera Health Centre IV, abandoned Katajula Health Centre III, and St. Anthony Hospital Tororo.
