A rift has emerged between the Buvuma District health department and the office of the district chairperson over the utilisation of Primary Health Care (PHC) funds amounting to Shs85m. The disagreement stems from differing priorities for the funds.
The district health department, led by district health officer Dr Baker Kanyike, wants the money used to construct a mortuary at Buvuma Health Centre IV, one of the most pressing needs at the district referral facility. However, the district chairperson, Mr Adrian Ddungu, insists that the funds should instead be allocated to acquiring a land title for the same facility.
Both officials agree that the funds belong to the health department, but Dr Kanyike argues that PHC funds are already captured in the district budget with specific allocations that leave little room for diversion to unrelated activities. ‘The existing guidelines instruct us to utilise PHC funds for renovation of hospital buildings, staff houses, and the purchase of essential equipment needed at the facility. It is true that the land title is a pressing need, but it falls outside the PHC budget framework,’ Dr Kanyike said in an interview on Wednesday.
He added that the district should seek alternative sources of funding for the land title acquisition, noting that while securing the land is important to prevent encroachment, the department may have to proceed with renovations and staff housing if the mortuary project is blocked. ‘We plan to meet district officials to advise and possibly forge a way forward without causing unnecessary conflict or delays,’ he said.
However, Mr Ddungu insisted that acquiring a land title should be the top priority, citing government restrictions on constructing public facilities on land without proof of ownership. ‘Government restricts investment in facility construction on land where ownership through a land title is not clear. We have already engaged Buganda Kingdom officials on securing a 99-year lease, which requires Shs50 million. This should be our priority,’ he said.
Mr Ddungu said the district currently lacks proof of ownership of the land where Buvuma Health Centre IV sits. Although the land has been surveyed, the title acquisition can only be finalised after paying the lease fees. He also hinted that the district hopes to elevate the facility to hospital status, a move he expressed fear could be opposed by the government if ownership of the land remains unverified.
‘The directive to divert funds from the mortuary to land title acquisition may be painful to some health officials, but securing the land is urgent. We should not lose the chance of a possible presidential directive to elevate the facility to hospital status,’ Mr Ddungu said. Meanwhile, Mr Issa Mbooge, the Buvuma District chief administrative officer, said both issues are important but reaffirmed that PHC funds cannot be diverted to activities outside the government’s set guidelines.
‘We shall use other discretionary funds within our budget to acquire the land title without diverting PHC funds. Both activities are crucial and will be addressed without breaching government policy,’ he said.
Buvuma Health Centre IV has faced criticism over its lack of a mortuary, forcing health workers to place dead bodies in sections of patients’ wards.
‘We are sometimes forced to place bodies in parts of the wards while still attending to patients,’ a health worker, who preferred anonymity, told the Daily Monitor.
The facility serves as the main referral centre for Buvuma District’s island communities, making the absence of a mortuary a major health and dignity concern for both staff and patients.