By Our Reporter,
NATIONAL:
Reports on shoddy works continue to surround government projects and litle has been done to stop the same. Latest on Parrots UG indicates that a rooftop at Mulago Specialized Women Neonatal Hospital (MSWNH) is leaking barely three years after it was handed over to government.
This revealation has been made by the entity’s Executive Director, Dr. Evelyne Nabunya while appearing before the committee of parliament on health.
“The leaking roof has damaged the wall paint, plaster, ceiling and when water seeps through, it affects the beams and walls.” Dr. Evelyne said.
The $25m project, New Mulago as commonly called, the 450 bed capacity hospital project was funded using a loan using a loan from the Islamic Development Bank, under Arab Contractors, an Egyptian firm.
The construction exercise started in June 2015 and completed in August 2018. On October 3, 2018, President Museveni commissioned the hospital.
During the meeting, Nabunya told parliament that she had informed the project manager in the infrastructure department at the ministry health who inspected the faults and recommended for repairs.
This was after the committee vice chairperson, Hon. Joel Ssebikaali, also the Ntwetwe county MP tasked the hospital management to inform the contractor.
“In just three years, the entity is leakin!The contractor should be held liablefor the shoddy work,” Ssebikaali urged.
Nabunya said the contractor, Osman Ahamed Osman used the roofing that cannot withstand the heavy rains in Uganda.
However, the ED’s words did not convince the Kabale municipality MP, Nicholas Kamara who said that rains are globally the same noting that they cannot be a cause to the leakages. Kamara blames the leakages on poor workmanship of the contractor.
The ministry of health could neither admit nor deny the leakage reports but the ministry’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Ainebyoona pledged to follow up the matter.
