Gulu Regional Referral Hospital is renovating its Outpatient Department (OPD) for 315 million shillings in a move aimed at improving service delivery and creating a better environment for patients.
The renovation works, which began early this month, are being undertaken by KEMA Technologies (U) Ltd and are expected to take two months before being handed over for use. Walter Uryek-Wun, the Principal Assistant Secretary at the hospital, told Uganda Radio Network on Tuesday that the project is being funded through government non-wage funding and contributions from development partners.
According to Uryek-Wun, the renovation will involve replacing the old floor with terrazzo, installing concrete ceilings, repairing electrical and plumbing facilities, and repainting the entire OPD block. The works will also include partitioning sections of the OPD to accommodate specialized clinics, including diabetic, HIV, nutrition, and orthopedics services.
Uryek-Wun said the hospital management had established temporary OPD service points at the radiology department, private wing and former Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic to ensure patients continue receiving care during the renovation.
He added that the hospital has undertaken major renovation works in other units this year, including the maternity ward, medical stores, surgical ward, medical ward and toilets designated for tuberculosis patients. The OPD renovation is being jointly supervised by the hospital engineer and the Gulu City Council engineering department.
Sunday Oola, a civil engineer from Gulu City Council, said work on the 1,200-square-metre OPD building had reached 15 per cent completion. He expressed confidence that the contractor would complete the project within the stipulated timeframe. Oola added that broken windowpanes and damaged doors and windows would be replaced as part of the renovation.
Gulu Regional Referral Hospital’s OPD serves patients from across the Acholi Sub-region and parts of West Nile. According to hospital officials, the facility attends to an estimated 1,000 patients weekly. Despite the high patient numbers, the hospital received 600 million shillings in non-wage funding out of its total allocation of 22 billion shillings for the 2026/2027 financial year-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
