Does the Increase in Budget for Cancer Commensurate the Work on Ground?
Often times there are reports of scandals in our health sector ranging from corruption, underutilization of funds to little or no funds. Of the many, what has stood out this year bearing in mind we are four months into the year, is the breakdown of the radiotherapy machine at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago Hospital.
Outraged, Ugandans took to all kinds of media to express their anger and yes, we were heard. The Minister responsible, Hon Elioda Tumwesigye appeared before the media to explain. He clarified that Uganda had indeed procured a machine but, wait for it; the bunker in which it is supposed be placed had not yet been constructed, three years down the road. Being a nuclear machine, it needs to be housed to protect both patients and doctors from the dangerous rays of the machine, other scientific explanations included.
Looking at the Ministerial Policy statements for health for 2015/16 and 2016/2017, a different picture is portrayed. For the past financial years there has been talk of a radio therapy bunker, the annual work plan for 2014/15 indicated preparation of Bids, advertisement, consultancy of structural designs, supervision of facilities, Ministry of Energy appraisal, monitoring and supervising works on the bunker site, meetings to review the progress and payment of the contractor. In 2015/16 the statements show plans to integrate radio therapy into mainstream cancer services at UCI and also design the bunker to allow for installation of already procured equipment. The 2016/17 statement indicates a continuation of the construction. Yes, continuation of the construction of the bunker meaning there is already work being done in that regard. The Minister in a recent statement said three foreign companies had been prequalified for the construction and ground breaking is scheduled for the first week of May. There is gross misalignment between the Ministers statement and what the sector’s statements reflect.
During last year’s budget process, we were all praises for the Ministry and Uganda Cancer Institute who when before the committee on health told of Uganda’s plan to become a center for excellence for cancer in all of East Africa. It is however difficult to envision these plans materializing when such mistakes are being made.
This notwithstanding, the budget for the cancer Institute has kept on increasing from UGX 3 billion in 2012/14 to UGX 42 billion in 2016/2017, however, cases of low absorption of these funds have been reported. This increase however, has not significantly affected the budget for the health sector which has stalled at the 7% mark for two consecutive years.
Parliament has a very crucial role to play, among other things, it is constitutionally mandated to budget for this country. Sectoral committees should carefully scrutinize their respective sector’s policy statements to avert delays like those mentioned, prioritize important sectors to give them balanced growth, expedite the consideration of the Cancer Institute Bill and if the worst comes to pass, stand over the budget until Uganda’s call for better health services is heeded to.
On the part of Government, increasing the sector budget by a significant margin to solve problems that are financial in nature would be a great place to start. Then maybe more can be done to fix structural challenges like staffing gaps, absentiseem and curb cases of graft among other things gradually.
