By Ambrose Okwanga.
The Government Chief Whip and Lira City Woman Member of Parliament, Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, on Wednesday inspected newly completed infrastructure projects at Lira Regional Referral Hospital and pledged to lobby for additional development to strengthen health services.
Dr Aceng was received by Acting Principal Hospital Administrator Monica Akello Oyet, Senior Consultant Paediatrician Dr William Oyam, hospital staff, and caregivers before touring the completed facilities ahead of their official commissioning on Thursday.
The projects inspected included the newly constructed 220-metre Hospital Lane (formerly Police Road), the Infectious Isolation Unit, a covered canopy, the Eye Unit, and the expanded Outpatient Department (OPD) of the hospital’s private wing.
Speaking after the inspection, Dr Aceng commended the hospital board and management for successfully implementing the projects, describing the transformation as a significant step towards improving healthcare delivery.
“I want to congratulate the Hospital Director together with the entire hospital staff for this good work that has been done. It has also given visibility to the infrastructure along the former Police Road and strengthened the outlook of the Regional Referral Hospital,” she said.
Dr Aceng, who previously served as Medical Superintendent at the hospital, said the long-term vision is to transform Lira Regional Referral Hospital into a specialised referral facility capable of providing more advanced healthcare services.
She also pledged to use her position as Government Chief Whip to advocate for additional funding and development projects for the hospital and other sectors within Lira City.
Acting Principal Hospital Administrator Monica Akello Oyet welcomed the visit, saying the hospital management was encouraged by Dr Aceng’s positive assessment of the facility.
She noted that the Government Chief Whip particularly commended the cleanliness of the hospital, a culture she introduced during her tenure at the facility before serving as Director General of Health Services.
The newly completed projects are expected to improve patient care, expand specialised services, and enhance the hospital’s capacity to respond to infectious diseases and the growing healthcare needs of the Lango sub-region.