Lawmakers, activists seek Shs63b for primary health
The executive director of Uganda National Health Consumers Organisation Robinah Kaitiritimba (C) chats with the general manager of National Medical Stores, Mr Moses Kamabare (R) and Mr Denis Odwe, of Action Group for Health, Human Rights at a workshop in Kampala last week. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY SSERUYANGE
What you need to know:
Allocation. The funds will be used to recruit more health workers.
Kampala.
As Parliament continues to scruitinise sectoral budgets for various ministries and government departments, MPs and health rights activists have asked government to set aside Shs63 billion to save the Primary Healthcare (PHC) component.
Attending a workshop on the maternal health project last week, the MPs said until government pays more attention to PHC, the country’s health system will remain crippled. The component is among the list of Health’s Ministerial Policy statement’s unfunded priorities.
The executive director of the Uganda National Health Consumers Organisation, Ms Robinah Kaitiritimbi, said the money was insufficient but they would appreciate if government prioritised PHC.
“We need Shs63 billion as a minimum to make the health centres functional like putting in place reagents like ensuring the hygiene of health centres. Supervision of these health centres has also remained very poor,” Ms Kaitiritimbi said.
“That is why we have health centres closed and health workers are not being paid. Let government look everywhere for the funds,” she added.
The shadow minister of health, Dr Lulume Bayiga, said he would push the health committee to treat the matter of allocation urgently.
Mr Milton Muwuma (Kigulu South), however, said most vulnerable programmes were affected after donors withdrew their aid.
