UGANDA RISKS MORE LIVES WITHOUT UGX 65.9B LOAN, WARNS DR. ACENG AS GOVERNMENT DEFENDS CANCER CARE EXPANSION
By Aggrey Baba
As the burden of cancer grows heavier in Uganda, the country faces a dire scarcity of oncologists and treatment facilities. The Uganda Cancer Institute, the nation’s main hope for cancer care, is overwhelmed by patients, forcing many to wait long for treatment that is often a matter of life or death. Against this backdrop, the government is seeking to borrow $18.09 million (about UGX 65.9 billion) from the African Development Fund to expand and equip the institute. While this proposal aims to strengthen cancer care, it also adds to Uganda’s swelling debt pile, leaving many to ask if this is this the right medicine, or we’re swallowing poison in the name of relief.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng, defended the loan while addressing Parliament’s National Economy Committee, recently. She explained that this initiative is part of the East Africa Centres of Excellence for Skills project, where Uganda leads in oncology, Tanzania in cardiology, and Kenya in pathology. However, progress on Uganda’s cancer institute was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the government to seek additional funding.
“A poor man’s house needs repairs more than his neighbor’s mansion,” Dr. Aceng remarked, emphasizing that the loan would help alleviate the strain on doctors and improve services. But critics argue that borrowing endlessly is like “fetching water with a broken pot.” Uganda’s public debt is already a point of concern, and many fear that adding to it will harm more than help.
Cancer is no respecter of persons, and as cases rise, the need for quality care is urgent. Yet, for every patient waiting in a hospital corridor, there is a taxpayer worried about the mounting cost of such projects. Will this loan strengthen Uganda’s healthcare or drag the nation deeper into financial quicksand? Only time will tell if this is a lifeline or just a heavier yoke to bear.
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