The State Minister for Health (General Duties), Hon. Anifa Kawooya, has revealed that Kilembe Mines Hospital in Kasese district was closed due to repeated flooding by River Nyamwamba.
The Minister said this in response to a matter of national importance raised by Kasese Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon. Ferigo Kambale, on Wednesday, 18 January 2023.
Kambale said that the Permanent Secretary in the ministry announced the withdrawal of the credit line for medical supplies to Kilembe Mines Hospital on 02 December 2022.
He noted that the closure of the hospital affected over 500,000 residents in Kasese Municipality.
“My prayer is that this decision is reversed because it was taken when the hospital had many patients. I request the Committee on Health to go on the ground and appreciate the plight of our people,” Kambale said.
Kawooya, however, said after the flooding of the hospital, the ministry took immediate action to relocate services to other health facilities in the region.
She added that the ministry approved the reallocation of the budget from Kilembe Mines Hospital to other private not-for-profit health facilities in Kasese district.
“These include Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau to where the medical equipment and supplies from Kilembe Mines Hospital were moved after it flooded,” Kawooya said.
She revealed that government has plans to build other health facilities in the region. “The Ministry of Health has an immediate plan to construct another Health Centre IV in Bulembia Division in Kasese Municipality. We are doing all our best to have another facility,” she added.