19 vehicles procured to improve health service delivery

Jan 31, 2014

The health ministry has procured a total of 19 vehicles to facilitate monitoring and evaluation of health activities in the country in a bid to improve service delivery in the sector.

By John Agaba

The health ministry has procured a total of 19 vehicles to facilitate monitoring and evaluation of health activities in the country in a bid to improve service delivery in the sector.

Twelve 15-seater 'micro' buses, a donation from the Global Fund, were given out to support health teams in each of the 12 regions in the country move around their respective districts to verify if health activities are being implemented according to plan.

Handing over the buses Thursday at the health ministry, Dr. Jim Arinaitwe, the coordinator of Global Fund in Uganda, said:

"Each of the regions has about 10 to 13 districts. The buses will take the teams across the districts to monitor and evaluate the extent health programs are being implementation in each of the districts and if the services are being implemented according to plan."

The move will improve service delivery, he said.

He said each of the teams will comprise a group of eight, among others, an HIV/Aids focal person, and malaria, TB, and reproductive health experts.

Seven pickup trucks were donated by SUSTAIN to assist with routine repair and maintenance of medical equipment at healthcare facilities in the seven regions of Arua, Gulu, Lira, Hoima, Fort Portal, Kabale and Mbale.

SUSTAIN is a USAID's program on strengthening Uganda's systems in AIDS treatment.

The program also partners with the health ministry to refurbish and equip several laboratories across the country.

Nathan Tumwesigye, SUSTAIN's Chief of Party, said, since 2010, the program has renovated 17 regional referral and general hospital level laboratories and installed new modern automated and non-automated equipment.

He said in 2014, the program will renovate and equip four more laboratories in the Karamoja region. 

Health minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, said a number of hospitals and health centres in Uganda do not have optimal staff.  He, however, said the ministry was continuing last year's project of recruiting 10,000 health workers and retaining them.

He revealed last year the ministry recruited about 7000 health workers.

Rugunda also said that the ministry had procured money from the Spain Government to renovate Kawolo hospital, in Lugazi district, which he admitted was not in "good shape"

He said the ministry was aslo fast tracking the prevention of malaria in the country by providing over 21 million mosquito nets to Ugandan households. He urged people to sleep under the nets.

"Most of these diseases that afflict our people are preventable," he said. "Diseases like diarrhea, malaria, dysentery; they are preventable. People have to mind their hygiene; wash hands, drink only safe water and sleep under treated mosquito nets."

Dr. Asuman Lukwago, the ministry's Permanent Secretary, revealed the United States department of defense was partnering with the ministry to improve regional surveillance of deadly fevers like the Marburg and Ebola hemorrhagic fevers.

 

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