Health
Gov’t pledges to recruit more health workers, teachers in new budget
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija
The government has promised to recruit more teachers and health workers to ensure better social service delivery.
The minister of finance Matia Kasaija said in his Budget Speech on June 15, that all existing Health Center IVs and Health Center IIIs will be facilitated to offer quality healthcare to all Ugandans. Kasaija said that the government intends to lift the ban on hiring of health workers a d teachers following the completion of the government payroll audit.
Besides increasing funding for the essential facilities, the health Ministry will roll out the health worker supervision and management system to reduce on absenteeism.
Kasaija’s remarks however come against the background of cuts in the Health Ministry budget specifically targeting upgrade of health centres.
The minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said the government had slashed the Ministry’s development budget that catered for upgrade of health centres from UGX233bn to UGX152bn.
The upgrade of health centres was part of a UGX1.4 trillion fund jointly supported by the World Bank and Uganda government.
Minister Kasaija also promised that the longstanding dispute over the hiring of intern doctors will soon be resolved.
“Government will in the next few weeks resolve the plight of medical interns and doctors designated as senior house officers, in view of their important role in supporting the healthcare system,” Kasaija said, although didn’t specify which measures the government intends to introduce.
The ministry of health had told interns it is ready to allocate them to government facilities if they are ready to facilitate themselves.
In the meantime, Kasaija said the government had set aside UGX 22.6 billion to clear outstanding arrears for medical interns and senior house officers for the financial year ending June 2023.
In the education sector, Kasaija said the government will lift the ban on hiring of more teachers following the competition of the ongoing audit of the government payroll.
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