Ministry of Health seeks Shs 171 bn to procure more COVID-19 test kits

The Ministry of Health is seeking for $ 46 million (about shs 171 billion ) to procure more test kits that will be used in testing for Covid-19 across the country.

This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, while presenting accountability for the money received by the ministry to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Atwine said that the ministry has already spent $ 28 million (Shs 104 billion) on test kits, but this is not enough as the pandemic is still ravaging in the country and now at stage three.

She said: “This money is not enough. That is why you hear these big and wealthy countries speaking in billions of dollars and for us we see $ 28 million as too much money,”

Dr Atwine said that the ministry had budgeted shs 4.8 billion to purchase meals for people in quarantine centres across the country but they have so far spent shs 2.3 billion and now want the balance of shs 2.5 billion to be put of on test kits.

” We have requested the Ministry of Finance to allow us the balance of 2.5 to be put on test kits,” Dr Atwine said.

In her speech, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said that three country is now at stage three of the pandemic but decried the complacency among Ugandans which might cause a surge in cases.

“And everyday if you look at the reports of cases, you’ll see cases from Kyotera and Amuru. So don’t relax and think that the pandemic is getting better, no,” Dr Aceng said.

The Ministry of Health said that they had only received Shs 119 billion of the shs 208 billion, leaving a balance of Shs 89 billion still pending.

Break down of the shs 119 billion

The Ministry said it spent Shs 4.8 billion to buy resources which were distributed to regional referral hospitals.

“Each regional referral hospital received shs 272 million. Shs 11 billion has gone to purchase 37 ambulances,” Dr Atwine said.

Shs 6 billion has went into purchasing oxygen plants with one to be installed at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

According to the accountability presented, Shs 4.8 billion was budgeted for meals of people in quarantine; Shs 104 billion has been spent on COVID-19 test kits; Shs 16.4 b on staff and health workers working on Covid-19 patients and Shs 3.89 on recruitment of new health personnel.

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