Uganda, March 29 -- Medical doctors have appealed to the government to expedite the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to reduce gaps in access to quality health care in the country.

The doctors spoke during the Association of Surgeons of Uganda's (ASOU) Annual Surgical Scientific Conference and Surgical Landscape Exhibition second edition which ended on Thursday in Entebbe.

Dr Frank Asiimwe, the outgoing president of ASOU, said having the "NHIS in place would reduce constraints associated with limited funding to the health sector."

However, he appealed to government to increase funding of the national health budget from the current 8.9 per cent to at least over 12 per cent.

Kampala Hospital Chief Executive O...