The suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding is causing serious problems for healthcare in Mukono District.
Currently, many hospitals and clinics are struggling to keep running after losing financial support.
With fewer health workers, patients may have to wait longer for treatment, and some services could stop altogether.
The crisis is unfolding as the Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) lays off workers due to the funding suspension.
Elizabeth Namanda, the district’s Chief Administrative Officer, says MUWRP, once a key health partner, had employed 236 health workers, including 32 on permanent contracts.
The funding suspension has forced the project to cut staff numbers to 136, with only the permanent employees retained pending a 90-day USAID program review.
The impact further extends to other districts including Kayunga, Buikwe, and Buvuma, where MUWRP has been providing critical healthcare services.
Since 2005, MUWRP has played a pivotal role in HIV care and treatment under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
It has provided screening, treatment, and prophylaxis for major opportunistic infections, as well as rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and adherence support.
The program has also integrated tuberculosis (TB) services and cervical cancer screening for female patients at ART clinics.
Namanda says the district is now assessing the impact of the funding cuts before formally requesting additional wage allocations from the Ministry of Health to recruit new staff.
Before the funding suspension, MUWRP’s workforce had been deployed across Mukono General Hospital, health centre IIIs and IVs, and hard-to-reach areas such as Koome Island and the district’s rural communities.
Workers’ Layoffs
The layoffs come at a time when Mukono District is already grappling with staff shortages due to a prolonged standoff over the formation of the District Service Commission (DSC).
For three years, political disagreements have stalled efforts to constitute the commission, blocking much-needed recruitment of healthcare workers.
Dr. Geffrey Kasirye, the Medical Superintendent of Mukono General Hospital, attributes part of the staffing woes to these political wrangles.
He warns that with only 147 healthcare workers, just 52% of the required number, the hospital is at breaking point. The situation could worsen if MUWRP withdraws entirely.
Dr. Kasirye highlights the urgent need for specialist doctors, particularly obstetricians, gynecologists, and surgeons, to improve service delivery.
Appeals For Urgent Action
Mukono District Speaker Betty Hope Nakasi has urged the DSC to expedite the recruitment of healthcare workers whose positions were advertised last year.
She also called on the district administration to explore ways to recruit additional staff to fill the growing gap.
Nakasi further proposed that the district consider temporarily deploying MUWRP’s laid-off workers on a voluntary basis to ensure continuity of services rather than leaving them unemployed.
With USAID’s funding review still ongoing, uncertainty looms over Mukono’s healthcare sector and other affected districts, leaving patients and health workers in a precarious position.
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