Speaker Oboth
Moroto, Yumbe and Soroti Regional Referral Hospitals are grappling with redundant oxygen plants according to a report from the Committee on Public Accounts(Central Government).
The committee’s report on the Auditor General’s report for the year ended 31 December 2025 was presented by Deputy Chairperson, Hon. Sarah Lwansasula on Thursday, 05 November 2026.
The report highlighted that two oxygen plants at Moroto Hospital worth Shs3.72 billion have been non-functional for three years due to unfinished and locked up plant house entrusted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Engineering Brigade on 30 July 2022 for completion in six months.
The report also revealed that the oxygen plant at worth Shs3.727 billion is incomplete, its site abandoned and an 8O0-ampere breaker damaged in transit.
In Soroti, the audit revealed that two of the three plants are not working, one was never handed over by the UPDF and MOH and one un-serviced because the service contract is held centrally.
“The committee observed that oxygen plants worth Shs7.7 billion in underserved regions have produced little or no oxygen. The failure to complete and hand over a six-month contract after more than three years reflects serious contract management failures and undermines service delivery,” the report reads in part.
The committee recommended that the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance should hold MOH and the UPDF Engineering Brigade accountable for the delays.
“MOH and the brigade should, within 60 days of adoption of the report, expedite completion and handover of the Moroto, Yumbe and Soroti plants and service the two Soroti plants,” Lwansasula said.
The committee’s eight reports also revealed late deliveries by National Medical Stores (NMS) as well as medicine stock outs and expiries in Fort Portal, Gulu, Hoima, Kayunga and Soroti hospitals.
“Audit noted that NMS deliveries were late by up to 28 days at Fort Portal, 38 at Gulu, 44 at Hoima, 27 at Kayunga and 136 at Soroti,” the report read in part.
The committee also found that stock-outs lasted up to 157 days at Arua, 102 days at Hoima, and 400 days at Soroti.
“The committee observed that prolonged medicine stock-outs disrupt treatment and compromise patient care. For example, Soroti RRH experienced a 400-day stock-out of second-line antiretroviral medicine, Darunavir, while the medicine expired at Arua and Hoima RRHs during the same period, limiting redistribution opportunities,” she added.
The committee tasked NMS to report to Parliament within 60 days of adoption of the report on its delivery performance for each regional hospital.
“MOH should establish a system for redistributing near-expiry programme medicines among hospitals and accounting officers should institute monthly stock monitoring and quarterly reporting on stock-out days, order fulfilment and deliveries,” Lwansasula
