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Auditor General Edward Akol
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By Our Reporter
The Ministry of Health destroyed COVID-19 vaccines, ARVs, and test kits worth Shs316.65Bn in the 2023/24 financial year, a significant increase from Shs33Bn wasted in 2022/23. The revelation came from Auditor General Edward Akol while presenting the 2023/24 Annual Auditor General’s Report to Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa. “In the health sector, substantial challenges persist with the expiration of medical supplies. The destruction of Shs316.65Bn worth of vaccines, ARVs, and test kits highlights a massive waste of resources that could have been directed towards other pressing healthcare needs,” Akol said.
Health sector struggles
The report also highlighted critical human resource shortages in Uganda’s healthcare sector. For example, Mulago National Referral Hospital’s ICU operates at only 56% capacity, with 15 out of 27 beds functional due to a lack of staff.
“Critical equipment remains unused in many hospitals due to a lack of trained personnel to operate them. The Ministry of Health’s infrastructure department requires Shs20Bn annually for equipment maintenance but receives only Shs1.8Bn, creating a maintenance gap,” Akol added.
Poor waste management
Akol also raised concerns over poor waste management in cities and municipalities, revealing that only 37% of the 4 million tonnes of garbage generated annually is collected and disposed of.
“Cities handled just 34.4% of their 3.2 million tonnes, while municipalities managed to collect 50% of their 812,462 tonnes. This poor waste management poses environmental and health risks that require urgent attention,” he said.
Pension sector warning
The Auditor General issued a stark warning regarding the Government’s pension system, projecting that Ugandan taxpayers could be spending over Shs4.5Trn annually on pensions and gratuities by 2034 if reforms are not implemented.
He revealed that Shs31.2Bn was overpaid to pensioners in the 2023/24 financial year.
“Overpayments included Shs22.3Bn to 1,502 pensioners in 19 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and 115 local governments. Another Shs8.9Bn was overpaid to 2,193 pensioners in 23 MDAs and 104 local governments,” Akol noted.
Recommendations
Akol called for immediate interventions to address these issues, including better inventory management for medical supplies, increased funding for healthcare equipment maintenance, reforms in the pension system, and enhanced waste management efforts.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa assured Parliament that the report would guide future policy decisions to ensure accountability and resource optimization.
