Decentralisation blamed for poor health service
Evelyn Lirri
Kampala
A decentralised recruitment system of health workers is to blame for the poor
delivery of health services in the country, Health Minister Stephen Mallinga
has said. “It’s unfortunate that decentralisation has almost led to tribalism
of the health system. When I go to Arua, I find nurses and doctors mostly from
that area, in the east it’s the same case and Kampala, the hospitals are mainly
manned by people from this region,’’ Dr Mallinga said.
He said having medical personnel from the region running their own health
facilities disadvantages some regions like Karamoja where there are not so many
qualified people in the medical field.
“We have to be sensitive to the problems of other districts where there are few
staff. Let the whole country have access to health care,’’ said Dr Mallinga
during a health sector joint review in Kampala on Monday.
Speaking at the 14th Health Sector Joint Review meeting in Kampala, Dr Mallinga
said because of decentralisation, health workers miss chances of developing and
upgrading their career.
“Once you are recruited to Kisoro you are likely to be tied there forever
without getting an opportunity to upgrade and be promoted,’’ he said.
Dr Mallinga also warned that non-performing health workers and those who sell
drugs face dismissal if caught. The Belgian ambassador to Uganda, Mr Jan de
Bruyne, who spoke on behalf of the health development partners, said Uganda is
off track on meeting Millennium development goals on reducing child and
maternal mortality.
“High maternal mortality is often a consequence of the poor healthcare system,
especially in the rural areas. Healthcare system should be able to provide
timely interventions for preventing maternal death including family planning,
skilled attendance at birth and emergency obstetric care,’’ Mr Bruyne said.
Although reducing maternal mortality and achieving safe motherhood is one of
the UN Millennium Development Goal targets to which among other countries
Uganda is a signatory, the challenge is still high.
MDG number five requires countries to reduce the death rates by 75 per cent by
2015.Currently, maternal mortality stands at 435 deaths per 100,000 live
births. Uganda’s maternal mortality, it is projected would be at 132 deaths per
every 100,000 live births by 2015.
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