Nebbi General Hospital faces disconnection from the National Water grid due to accumulated bills.
The hospital has outstanding domestic arrears of 794.3 million Shillings as of March 31, 2023, according to the letter of notice of disconnection signed by Dr Eng. Silver Mugisha, the Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
Nebbi General Hospital Administrator Christopher Ongom told Uganda Radio Network that the unpaid water bills have accumulated over a period of eight to ten years. According to Ongom, they have not accumulated new areas as of November last year due to the timely payment of the monthly water bill.
Nebbi Hospital was elevated as a general hospital in 1973 to serve a catchment population of 36,637 people then, but the facility now serves a population of over 450,000 people from communities in Zombo, Pakwach, Madi-Okollo districts and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Nebbi District Chairperson Emmanuel Orombi acknowledged that his office is aware of the accumulated water bills of the hospital, but adds that the district with support from UNICEF is constructing an underground water system which he says will go a long way in reducing water bills at the facility.
But, Robert Omito Steen, the Pakwach district chairperson has asked the government to increase funding to the hospital since more patients seek services at the facility.
In 2013, Nebbi General Hospital’s water supply was disconnected over accumulated bills, which forced attendants and the staff to resort to using the untreated Nyacara River. Records at the hospital indicate that the facility spends on average 2.5 million Shillings on water bills translating to 10 million Shillings every quarter.
