Kitgum health sector faces critical staffing gap of 21.3%
He said the shortage continues to put pressure on available health workers and affects the delivery of essential medical services.
Kitgum: Kitgum District Health Department is facing a significant human resource shortage, with a staffing gap of 21.3%, a situation officials say continues to affect healthcare delivery, patient safety and the achievement of health sector targets.
The staffing challenge was highlighted during the district budget conference held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, where health officials called for increased support from government and development partners to address the shortage.
Thomas Ojok, the Administrator of Kitgum General Hospital, who represented the District Health Officer, said staffing levels remain low across the district’s health facilities.
According to Ojok, staffing levels stand at 46.7% in district hospitals, 30.8% at Health Centre IVs and 40.2% at Health Centre IIIs.
He said the shortage continues to put pressure on available health workers and affects the delivery of essential medical services.
Ojok emphasised that improving healthcare services requires collective responsibility, urging development partners to complement government efforts by supporting priority health interventions in their respective areas of operation.
He noted that the distribution of mixed health service products across the district’s 40 health facilities presents additional challenges in service delivery, further worsening the existing human resource and financing constraints.
Ojok also revealed that the district plans to upgrade six health facilities to Health Centre III status and elevate all existing Health Centre IIIs to Health Centre IV level as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery.
The planned upgrades are intended to improve access to health services and expand the capacity of health facilities to respond to the medical needs of communities across the district.
However, the proposed improvements will require additional funding, infrastructure development and recruitment of health workers to ensure that the upgraded facilities can effectively deliver the required services.
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