Africa-Press-Uganda
The Shs29.6b that the government collected from local donors to support Covid-19 response will instead be used to build health units, blood banks and buy vehicles, according to the Ministry of Health.
The decision to allocate the cash to non-pandemic causes was based on a presidential directive, officials added.
Dr Diana Atwine, the Health ministry permanent secretary, last week said President Museveni ordered that the money received in donations in the name of coronavirus be injected into physical developments that immortalises the contributions.
Subsequently, the Covid-19 National Taskforce advised that the Shs29.6 billion be spent on purchasing pick-up vehicles for hospitals and local governments, erect the first phase of two blood banks in Arua and Soroti districts as directed by President Museveni and build health posts at Cyanika and Vurra borders in Kisoro and Arua districts, respectively.
The health posts will have waiting sheds for cross-border travellers, according to the current blueprint.
According to an outline in a parliamentary report on supplementary budgets, Shs23.8b will be used to procure 282 pick-up trucks, each at $22,900 (Shs83.4m), Shs2.4b for the two border health posts and Shs3.3b on blood banks.
These expenses total Shs29.5 billion, leaving a balance of Shs100 million, and it remained unclear how it will be spent.
After reviewing the planned expenditure, Members of Parliament decided to add an additional Shs10.6 billion to Shs23.8 billion so that the Health ministry instead of buying pick-up trucks procures ambulances on grounds that pick-up trucks are not suitable for health services and are amenable to abuse.
