Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /usr/www/users/urnnet/a/story.php on line 43 Lira University Seeks UGX 7.9BN for Teaching Hospital, Administration Block :: Uganda Radionetwork
Prof. Jasper Ogwal noted with concern the reduction of their budget from Shillings 17.5 billion this financial year to Shillings 16.9 billion in the next financial year.
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Lira University of Science and Technology is hunting for Shillings 7.9 billion to fully operationalize
its new teaching hospital and complete the administration block.
A team of Lira University officials led by the Vice
Chancellor Prof. Jasper Ogwal disclosed this while appearing before the
Education Committee of parliament chaired by the Pallisa County MP, Jacob
Opolot on Wednesday.
Prof. Jasper Ogwal noted with concern the
reduction of their budget from Shillings 17.5 billion this financial year to
Shillings 16.9 billion in the next financial year.
Tom Richard Atim, the Senior Planner of Lira
University, said government has only allocated them Shillings 2.5 billion under
their development budget leaving a deficit of Shillings 6.7 billion, which is
required to complete the first phase of their administration block and another
Shillings 900 million for operationalizing the teaching hospital.
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Last year, Lira University of Science and technology received
a teaching hospital worth Shillings 7.4 billion built with funding from the
African Development Bank.
The teaching hospital is equipped with the
state of the art laboratory equipment. It is expected to train medical students
from various public universities and offer specialized medical services to the
public.
The teaching hospital was licensed by Ministry
of Health is under the directorate of Health Sciences at the University with
close supervision from the Health and Education Ministries.
Lira Woman MP, Joy Atim Ongom emphasized the need for the
Education Committee to convince parliament to increase the development budget
of the university so that it takes shape.
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During the same meeting, Prof. Mary Okwakol,
the Vice Chancellor of Busitema University also requested for Shillings 4.3
billion for staff recruitment in the 2019/2020 financial year.
She explained that the university is only
operating with only 22.6% academic staff, 19% Administrative staff and 16
percent for overall staff.
Prof. Okwakol noted that the staff percentages are way below
the required 50% staffing level.
The budget for Busitema University has
increased by Shillings 426 million from the current Shillings 36.7 billion to
37.1 billion in the 2019/2020 financial year.
Prof. Okwakol says the increase is very minimal
to carter for staff recruitment.
‘’The University has continued to lobby for
additional funding for recruitment and promotions. Despite the issue being
presented as unfunded priority in the Budget Frame Work Paper for financial
year 2019/2020, no funds have been allocated for the purpose,’’ said Okwakol.
She reported that they have communicated the matter to the
Finance Committee and also made several follow ups in vain.
