Mutungo Health Centre III opens as leaders call for more health workers

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reports that Mutungo Health Centre III has begun operating in Makindye-Ssabagabo Municipality, Kampala, in what local leaders described as a welcome addition to public health services. The facility is expected to improve access to care for residents, with services such as outpatient treatment, immunisation, HIV/AIDS support and maternal health care mentioned in the report.

Municipal leaders, including Mayor Moses Otimong and Mayor Galabuzi John Bosco Sserunkuma, said the new centre will only deliver real value if it is paired with enough health workers, medicines and other supplies. They argued that buildings and equipment alone are not enough, especially in emergencies involving pregnant women and children, where quick clinical decisions and trained staff are essential.

The article says the construction and equipment investment for the centre was put at about Shs3.96 billion, with Shs3.6 billion cited for construction and about Shs360 million for equipment. It also notes that Makindye-Ssabagabo has a large and growing population, which increases pressure on health services and helps explain the call for more staffing.

Dr Geoffrey Kisuze said the event marked the operationalisation, not the commissioning, of Mutungo Health Centre III and Kibiri Health Centre III. As background, the report links the local concerns to broader health workforce shortages in Uganda and says the municipality’s approved budget for FY2025/26 includes funding for the new facilities as they move into routine service delivery.