Uganda’s Daily Monitor reports on the status of the country’s free health care system, which it writes “is in crisis despite the billions of shillings of mostly donor money flowing in every year.” According to the newspaper, “Visits to a dozen health centers across the country revealed a chronic shortage of beds, drugs and medical personnel, confirming a recent verdict by the Anti-Corruption Coalition of Uganda that ‘service delivery and general care is almost not there.'”

According to the Daily Monitor, the government wrote in its latest annual health sector performance report, “Lack of adequate resources is still limiting hospitals to provide the services expected. In many instances, basic emergency infrastructure, supplies and specialized equipment are inadequate.” The newspaper examines “why the free health care system is so dysfunctional,” citing the unpredictability of the donor funding; a heavy focus on HIV/AIDS, which in 2010 received “more than half of total health care budget”; and corruption, which has been blamed for missing drugs, stolen funds and the creation of “more than 100 ghost health centers” (Among, 10/1).