Kampala — Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is to upgrade its health centers into general hospitals to offer more services and open up for highly skilled medics.

The Authority plans to upgrade Kawempe health centre IV (Four miles north of Kampala city) and Kiruddu health centre IV (7 km south East of Kampala city) into general hospitals while the other nine health centre III's will be upgrade to health centre IV's for a greater intake.

According to the KCCA Director Public Health and Environment at the Authority Dr. Habomugisha Godfrey, the facilities will be upgraded in phases with funding from the African Development Bank.

"The project is already on course and ground breaking is expected mid next year with an expectation to have modern facilities with 170 beds and more qualified staff," explained Habomugisha.

He noted that the current health facilities have limits on number of patients and resources so the upgrade will work well to expand the capacity.

Commenting on the status of the China Uganda Friendship hospital, Habomugisha said the facility is currently under management of Ministry of health.

"KCCA is taking over management of the facility in the next financial year with plans to turn it into a hospital that suits the city standards and can be accessed by all grades of people," noted Habomugisha.

The hospital was built with an aim of decongesting Mulago National Referral Hospital.

He revealed that KCCA had expanded the greening Kampala campaign to other divisions away from the central business district of Kampala.

"The exercise started with the central areas but other five divisions have borrowed a leaf such a Kawempe that has more than 10,000 seedlings," he said.