Health 1 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Shs150 Billion ICU Equipment Lies Idle in Ugandan Hospitals Due to Systemic Failures
A government audit reveals that Shs150 billion worth of ICU and NICU equipment procured for hospitals remains unused due to unreliable power, inadequate oxygen systems, maintenance shortages, and severe staffing deficits. Experts call for a holistic approach to activate these critical care units effectively. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/people-power/expensive-icu-equipment-goes-to-waste-in-hospitals-5443696
Expensive ICU equipment worth Shs150 billion, procured by the Health ministry for 15 regional referral hospitals, three national referral hospitals, and seven general hospitals, is gathering dust due to major infrastructural and operational gaps, according to the Auditor General’s 2025 report.
Key issues include unreliable power supply in facilities like Hoima, Jinja, Mubende, Fort Portal, and Kabale RRHs, where generators lack capacity or faulty switching prevents use of ventilators and monitors. Diagnostic tools such as X-ray machines in Entebbe, Hoima, and Jinja are non-functional from delayed servicing.
Oxygen systems are another bottleneck, with Mubende, Fort Portal, and Kabale lacking installed pipelines or operational plants. Maintenance funding is critically low at Shs7.6 billion annually—far below the needed Shs33 billion—leaving most equipment unserviced.
Staffing shortages are acute, with over 90% vacancies in critical roles across 16 RRHs and five NRHs. No senior consultants or principal nursing officers are in place for many positions, and only a fraction of nurses and technicians are available.
Dr Ronald Kyagulanyi, a senior lecturer, describes this as a ‘last-mile problem,’ where equipment arrives without supporting ecosystems like stable power, oxygen, trained staff, and maintenance. Mr Paddy Mugambe from UMI blames poor planning and one-size-fits-all distribution without assessing hospital readiness.
Experts recommend a ‘systems activation’ framework integrating infrastructure upgrades, workforce training, power stabilization, and coordinated procurement. The Auditor General urges strategies for specialist retention through better pay and recruitment.
This is based on a report from Daily Monitor.