Govt to recruit 6,172 health workers - Mbabazi

Govt to recruit 6,172 health workers - Mbabazi

Govt to recruit 6,172 health workers - MbabaziPublish Date: Sep 26, 2012

Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi

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By Joyce Namutebi and Henry Sekanjako

Twenty three ministries and government bodies are to undergo budget cuts as the MPs and the Executive agreed to give the health ministry additional sh49.54b.

The agreement brought to an end a week-long protracted debate on the issue.

Of this, sh6.5b  will cater for recruitment of 6,172 health centre personnel, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said on Tuesday.

He told MPs that on instructions of Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga on Thursday, the Executive and the budget committee met and agreed on the additional financing for the health sector. They, he added, had since held several consultations before harmonising their positions.

There was heated exchange between the MPs and the Government as they tried to reach a mutually agreeable position.

Mbabazi assured them that the Government would provide additional sh49.54b for recruitment and remuneration of health workers for health centres.

“We all agreed on the urgent need to improve the health care in the country. Therefore, we shall now address the human resource challenges so as to have a properly functioning system at the local government level throughout the country,” he said.

“We have managed to struggle and get sufficient funds to embark on the recruitment of a total of 6,172 health personnel.

Accordingly, we have managed to identify additional sh6.5b as seed money to enable the Ministry of Health to start on this endeavour,” Mbabazi said, in his statement to the House.

He said this will be provided by the Ministry of Finance through a supplementary well -costed work plan.

Personnel to be recruited are senior medical officers, medical officers, senior clinical officers, clinical officers, anesthetic assistants, enrolled nurses, enrolled midwives, laboratory technicians, nursing officers and midwives.

The ministries to suffer the budget cuts to raise the sh6.5b as public service, justice, lands, trade, works, energy, gender, water, Local Government, information and tourism. Government bodies include the National Planning Authority, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Registration Services Bureau, KCCA, Local Government Finance Commission and NEMA.

Others are NAADS secretariat, Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Uganda Cotton Development Organisation, Uganda Land Commission, National Forestry Authority and Uganda Coffee Development Authority.

He said medical officers working at Health Centre III will earn sh2.5m per month, including an enhanced consolidated allowance.

At Health Centre IV, the Government will employ two medical doctors and 47 other professional workers and support staff while at Health Centre III, a total of 19 health workers and support staff.

He said sh3b will cover the recruitment process costs while sh3.5b is available to pay the wage bill of the people recruited.

Health minister Dr. Christine Ondoa told Parliament that besides the recruitment ban, one other challenge has been the poor remuneration of doctors.

“That is why we have not been attracting and retaining doctors at Health Centre IVs which was not covered by the recruitment ban,” she said.

Aruu county MP Odonga Otto said there were 507 unfulfilled government promises and that giving only health workers was being selective.

Cecilia Ogwal, the Woman MP for Dokolo said the supplementary budget is not allowed according to the Budget Act because it preempts Parliament actions

The chairman of the health committee, Sam Lyomoki, said the move was a positive direction for the people of Uganda.

Emmanuel Ddombo, the MP for Bunyole County, said more mothers would die if the budget had been postponed again.

Tim Lwanga MP Kyamuswa agreed that the proposal presented by the Prime Minister was acceptable.

Betty Amongi said the committee on health sat with the Ministry of Health and gave a detailed work plan that is why it had recommended sh260b and was shocked that the Prime Minister was asking for a new workplan.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said they need to save the country from the budget tension by passing it as soon as possible.

Accessed on Wed. 26^th September, 2012 from: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/635635-govt-to-recruit-6-172-health-workers---mbabazi.html

The Journey to Ssese Islands, Kalangala District

No pot holes but we need life jackets: Jimmy aboard MV Kalangala

Whereas we talk of potholes, I wonder why we  forget one of the other sectors in the trasport sector, of course its the water transport. I had not travelled by the MV Kalangala till when i got an opportunity to join FHRI in Kalangala to facilitate a workshop on sensitizing the communities and district leadership on the Neighborhood Assembly concept. The journey from the Rwenzori Mountains to Kampala was the usual stories of potholes, then through to Entebbe beating trafic jam. Now, after boarding the ferry the language changed from potholes to life jackets. Ofcourse no life jacket was provided it was another experience of how our friends who ply the water transport  also have a different language. I want to share my travel experience and the efforts government has done to take services nearer to the people. Indeed, during the trip to Kalangala, alot of questions were lingering my mind, do we need more districts or improved services! While I flipped through the newvision of Wed. 19 September, more scandles had been unearthed by the Police investigating the pension scandles of Ugx 63Bn. Now that reminded me of the Ugandan rich class who accumulate wealth by hook or crook. Boarding MV Kalangala, shows how somebody put service above self. The question of social accountability was answered and if other players could emulate those who bothered to provide the MV Kalangala service, then we can think of transforming Uganda to another level in the next 20 years.



All was not roses as from Ssese Islands to Bufumira Islands, the ferry was a past tense, we were ushered into a boat in real life, we had never travelled in a boat. We all said our last prayers but with hope we reached our distination after 30Minutes. On the water live in the air, but this time around with lfe jackets. The experienced team briefed us about ettiquette on water and to keep our life jackets on. It was another talk of the day while we kept comparing transport on water, potholes and bringing services nearer to the people. My concern was, which sector needs immediate attention. People who complain of potholes or those who need life jackets.  If we were given to make a budget while in Kalangala the attention could be on life jackets and improving the services.



 

Rose (Right and Jimmy) aboard a boat to Bufumira Island. Chris (DGAP) was on the same boat

As development workers, expect to reach all categories of people, it takes courage to board a boat while many people would have asked, is the boat insured? but what about those who use the travel without life jackets, arent they part of the citizens that we claim to speak for? I apploud the district leadership of Kalangala for taking a risk by accepting to work and serve our people. Rose of FHRI, has shown what is meant by working with the vulnerable groups..

Thanks

Jimmy and Rose
In the field, Kalangala District

CEWIT’s Experience in observing Butambala County by-elections

The journey to Butambala District was another new experience in my field of governance in Uganda. This time it was not training the monitor or having feedback meetings with the district Authorities but observing the electoral process for the Member of Parliament in Butambala County after court had nullified election of Hon. Kikulukunyu after a petition by Kivumbi accusing  Kikulukunyu of  voter bribery.  With the Tags accredited observer by the electoral commission secretary on neck, we  headed to Butambala as a team of six people from CEWIT Offices.

 Although we did not know the road that leads to Butumbala as a team we were confident that we would find the right place phone thanks to the Emma who used the  smart Phone that acted us a guiding tool for direction and within an hour we had reached Butambala district. No wonder, on the first sight one would see the tension of the community members because of heavy deployment of the police at all the 13 polling station visited. It is not surprising that inspector general of Police Gen. Kaihura had joined the police and ready to prevent violence related incident which would affect the voting process for 5 candidates contesting for elections and these are Kivumbi Muhammed Muwanga, Faisal Kikulukunyu, Ibrahim Batemyetto, Ssentomgo Shariff and Farouk walungama.

 Our work started when we visited Nakatooke Umea P/S polling station where 100 voters had  voted out of 411 registered voters.  Three candidates had agents at the polling station while Farouk Walungama was the candidate who did not have an agent at most of the polling stations. We later headed to Kabira polling station by 12:30 and we were surprised that there were no electoral commission staffs putting on uniforms.  We visited 13 polling station, it was important to note that elections between 7:30 and 8:30 where the delay was caused by time taken offloading and distributing voting materials. Unlike the usual complaints that the voting materials were not enough,  this time it was the reverse as it was proved in all the polling stations visited the voter materials (the voters register, ink, ballot papers) were enough.

Together with my colleagues, John, Jane, Rosee, Vincent and Emma we visited the tally centre at 4: OO Pm and there was heavy police deployment at the centre with several police vehicles and antiriot untouchable vehicles. The situation was cum and the members for the voting process to end and process of tallying to begin after 5:00 PM.

The results were announced as follows by EC at 12:00PM where Kivumbi Muhammed Muwanga  had 14,764 votes, Faisal Kikulumunyu 12,792 votes, Ibrahim Batemyetto 150 votes, SSentongo sheriff 124 votes and Farouk Walungama got 60 votes.  Basing on the results of this election, i feel there is still need for increased CIVIC education as the number of invalid votes is still high for example 6 votes were invalid at mayugwe while at Kyerima polling station 16 votes were invalid. There is need for improved time management in the process of starting elections as most elections started late compared to 7:00 am when election are supposed.  It would be unfair I do appreciate the good practice of having a supervisor on every polling station was a very good practice that should be replicated in other elections. With the above I feel the electoral process in Butambala was relatively free and fair.

Sheila K
RWECO