Mbale regional referral hospital is grappling with an acute drug stock out.
Patients are now said to be buying essential drugs from private health facilities.
The Principal Hospital Administrator, Simon Kisabagire acknowledges the problem which he attributed to poor funding by government.
He says the hospital budgeted for Shs1.5 billion but only received Shs 980 million for the financial year 2015/2016.
He says in the most recent cycle, the hospital only received 55% of the requisitioned drugs.
According to Kisabagire they are mostly out of Oxygen, Anesthetics, Antibiotic and Artesunate injection for people with complicated malaria especially pregnant women.
He adds that the hospital caters for about 4 million people from 14 districts.