Gov’t to recruit 1,000 health workers in the next financial year

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Health Service Commission has raised concern that none of the entities in the country have submitted to the Public Service Ministry stipulating what they will need ahead of the proposed recruitment of 1000 health workers in the next financial year.

Dr. Christine Ntegamahe, the deputy chairperson of the commission, says a month to the new financial year, no institution has submitted the required clearance showing the required health workers they need, which is likely to slow down the process.

The Health Service Commission is mandated with the recruitment of health workers for the national referral hospitals, regional referral hospitals, Uganda Prisons Service, Uganda Police, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Cancer Institute, and Uganda Heart Institute among others.

Dr. Ntegamahe says the budgeting process requires that these facilities state an estimate of how many cadres they will need and indeed the specific areas where they are needed. Apparently, the commission cannot even call a planning meeting because they don’t know what is needed.

Commenting on the recent move to increase the salaries of health workers and re-aligning public service structures to recognize laboratory technicians and nurses with degrees, Dr. Ntegamahe argued that it may be difficult for people to get their new salaries come July as the Ministry of Finance releases funds on a quarterly basis, which is not possible now because of ill planning.

However, both the Ministries of Health and Public Service are assuring health workers that recruitment is being done and salary enhancement will be effected come July.

Dr. Henry Mwebesa who was speaking just after Allied Health Workers called off their two-week industrial action told journalists at a late evening press briefing on Wednesday that the review of staffing structures that have been on for the last three years is being expedited.

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