Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital is in a water crisis after National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) disconnected supply over an accumulated UGX 448 million in unpaid bills.
This has threatened operations and extension of healthcare services for people in Entebbe Municipality and neighbouring areas who rely on the hospital.
The hospital’s senior administrator, Richard Tumwesigye confirmed the development on Monday, noting that the hospital can not operate without water.
“We rely on water for cleaning, washrooms and theatre operations, our reserve water tanks can only sustain us for only 24 hours. This poses a direct threat to our provision of healthcare services to over 3 million people,”
He also notes that the arrears have accumulated from the past before the hospital was elevated to a regional referral. “We receive 120 million from the Ministry of Health which we pay annually to national water, but our monthly usage exceeds what is provided for by the ministry.”
Meanwhile, Naguru Referral Hospital is also confronted by a similar predicament and is operating without water after choking on a UGX 1.3 billion debt.
In recent months, several government ministries and agencies have faced disconnection from NWSC. The government is said to owe at least UGX 19 billion to NWSC.
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