• Latest
Health Committee Okays $70m for Uganda Heart Institute as Cardiovascular Deaths Rise

Health Committee Okays $70m for Uganda Heart Institute as Cardiovascular Deaths Rise

3 years ago
Museveni Urges Unity, Warns Against Anti-NRM Politics

Museveni Urges Unity, Warns Against Anti-NRM Politics

3 hours ago
PostBank Staff Equipped to Drive Climate-Smart Lending, Support SMEs

PostBank Staff Equipped to Drive Climate-Smart Lending, Support SMEs

4 hours ago
Joy Cheptoyek, Halimah Nakaayi Shine at World Athletics Championships

Joy Cheptoyek, Halimah Nakaayi Shine at World Athletics Championships

6 hours ago
Hoima Sugar, Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Partner to Restore Muhangaizima Site

Hoima Sugar, Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Partner to Restore Muhangaizima Site

6 hours ago
Uganda and China Deepen Cooperation

Uganda and China Deepen Cooperation

6 hours ago
UGEFA, Equity Bank Launch Phase II Partnership to Accelerate Green Finance

UGEFA, Equity Bank Launch Phase II Partnership to Accelerate Green Finance

7 hours ago
SoftPower News
Thursday, September 18, 2025
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
SoftPower News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Health Committee Okays $70m for Uganda Heart Institute as Cardiovascular Deaths Rise

by Muhamadi Byemboijana
July 15, 2022
Health Committee Okays $70m for Uganda Heart Institute as Cardiovascular Deaths Rise
22
VIEWS

A request by the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) for a US$70 million loan for infrastructure development has received a nod from MPs on the Committee of Health.

UHI was allocated 10 acres of land at the upscale Naguru-Nakawa estate to establish a centre of cardiac excellence.

Related Stories

Museveni Urges Unity, Warns Against Anti-NRM Politics

PostBank Staff Equipped to Drive Climate-Smart Lending, Support SMEs

Joy Cheptoyek, Halimah Nakaayi Shine at World Athletics Championships

The institute is currently located in Mulago hospital, where it occupies a single block.

The Executive Director, UHI, Dr John Omagino, interfaced with lawmakers on July 13, 2022 to justify the loan request and revealed that cardiovascular deaths are on the increase, hence the need for improved super specialised services.

“One in every four adults and an estimated 16,000 children every year has a heart related disease. Therefore, the demand for cardiovascular care is expected to grow,” said Omagino.

He added that out of the 16,000 children with heart-related diseases yearly, 400 stay on a waiting list, a challenge he said can be addressed if the new facility is developed.

“Worst scenario is when a mother calls at 3:00am and says the child who has been on that waiting list has passed away,” Omagino said.

According to Omagino, the institute has capacity to handle only 80 open heart surgeries yearly, but it is projected that with the new establishment, 500 open heart surgeries will be handled.

“There are only two committees standing in the way of approval of this loan, the health committee and Committee on National Economy. I doubt if other MPs will oppose this loan request,” he said.

Omagino also called for approval and operationalisation of a new human resource structure for the institute by September 2022, to enable UHI to attract and retain the super specialists in cardiology.

“Human resource remains at only 129 staff as approved 15 years ago. UHI has approved a structure which needs 700 staff. Public service Permanent secretary said no to our request and wrote back the most rude letter which to us, borders criminality,” said Omagino.

Chairperson of the Committee on Health, Dr Charles Ayume, assured the institute of the committee’s support, saying that the request will be delivered by the end of this year.

“Once the loan is approved, it is important to work in tandem with other stakeholders. We build hospitals and later realise that there is no electricity. We have seen this with Kawempe hospital. You need to start engaging the Ministry of Energy plus that of Water and Environment,” Ayume said.

Hon. Margaret Ayebare (NRM, Mbarara district) cited that the biggest challenge faced by UHI is the shortage of equipment and limited space, which can be addressed with the establishment of the new facility.

“What has brought the MPs here is to approve this loan that is what I want us to support as a committee. We need to take this more seriously. What is in the institute is bad – patients compete for beds – it is not that doctors cannot handle the patients,” she said.

Buikwe South legislator, Michael Bayiga, however, warned against mismanagement of the loan, saying that Parliament has approved several loans which have not been properly utilised.

“We appreciate the need for the loan but the committee needs to be certain that the funds will be utilised,” he said.

Maracha East County MP, Ruth Lematia, said that the proposed centre will not only serve as a centre of excellence, but will also be the country’s souvenir.

“We are ready to approve the loan. I however request that emphasis is put on high standards of cleanliness are maintained at the Institute to avoid infections,” she said.

According to the project’s architectural work, the first phase of the construction is targeting 250 beds, and in five to seven years, the beds are expected to increase to 500, and subsequently to 1,000.

Tags: Cardiovascular DeathsHealth CommitteeSoft PowerSoftPower NewsTop NewsUgandaUganda Heart Institute

Recent Stories

Museveni Urges Unity, Warns Against Anti-NRM Politics

PostBank Staff Equipped to Drive Climate-Smart Lending, Support SMEs

Joy Cheptoyek, Halimah Nakaayi Shine at World Athletics Championships

Hoima Sugar, Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Partner to Restore Muhangaizima Site

Uganda and China Deepen Cooperation

UGEFA, Equity Bank Launch Phase II Partnership to Accelerate Green Finance

SoftPower News Logo

SoftPower News is a subsidiary of SoftPower Communications LLC, a Ugandan digital media group. Keep posted of the latest from Uganda and East Africa.
Plot 4B Malcolm X, Kololo
P.O Box 1497, Kampala - Uganda
Tel: +256-392-001-701
Email: info@softpower.ug

This news site is licenced by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Regional
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More

© SoftPower News

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

error: Content is protected
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women

© SoftPower News

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?