Gov’t Tables $18M Loan Request for Cancer Centres

Government has presented a loan request for additional funding worth 18 million US dollars to facilitate construction and equipping the Uganda Cancer Institute.

The funds will help to ensure effective management of cancer across the country.

The state minister for Finance, Henry Musasizi told the committee on National Economy that the loan request is to support a Project that was originally funded to a tune of 34 million US Dollars with a development objective of transforming Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) from a modest specialized health facility to a higher institute providing clinical training, research and clinical services to cater for oncology demands in the region

Imploring the committee on National Economy to recommend approval of the loan request by parliament, Musasizi revealed that the project was delayed by the COVID19 Outbreak which escalated the prices of goods thus the need for additional funds.

It was noted that Uganda, in 2012 with a population of 35 million, had only 20 oncologists while the demand for these experts had grown in large numbers due to the steady growth of the cancer malady in the population with an annual load of more than 60,000 new cases in Uganda alone.

Justifying the loan request, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the minister for Health is optimistic that the loan from the Africa Development Fund will help in training and equip laboratories, facilitate research, training that will subsequently address the growing demand for cancer care and treatment across the country.

“Government is already setting up additional centres in several regions because a population of 45 million people not everybody can come to Kampala for treatment…actually part of this money will also buy equipment for the Northern centre.” Aceng told MPs.

Receiving the loan request, the committee chairperson Robert Migadde, the Buvuma Island Member of Parliament pledged to process the loan considering the increased burden of cancer to ensure that the ordinary Ugandan can easily access cancer treatment without necessarily being referred abroad.