Health to take on new professional cadres

With the ongoing restructuring in the health sector, a number of new professionals are to be recruited in the public service to resolve emerging challenges.

Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth East African Health Federation Conference in Kampala on Tuesday, State minister for health, Chris Baryomunsi revealed that new cadres such as biomedical engineers and technicians, counsellors and graduate nurses will now be a critical part of the human resources for health.

Citing the example of the cancer machine breakdown that paralysed the country recently, Baryomunsi said maintenance and fixing equipment breaking down in most public facilities is a major cost to the sector as they have to engage private entities and international experts.

With the HIV/AIDS scourge devastating millions of families; Baryomunsi says it has become critical to engage counsellors, which has not been a traditional practice in the public sector.

The health sector, as per the budget reading on Wednesday, will receive a slightly bigger slice of the national cake than it did in the financial year that is about to end.

Here, Baryomunsi shares a moment with Dr. Mariam Ongara during the conference. (Credit: Godfrey Kimono)

According to Baryomunsi, the allocation to the sector is set to rise from sh1.2 trillion in the financial year ending to sh1.7 trillion.

"However, in terms of percentage of the national budget, the health sector one has not increased as much. As a country we are still performing below the Abuja declaration of 15% national budget allocated to health," he said.

Uganda currently devotes about 9% of the national budget to the health sector.

It is this slight increment, however, that Baryomunsi believes will help increase the number of critical personnel in the sector such as midwives and other experts.

As regional medical experts dialogue at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, the major concerns are universal access to health and the role of the private sector in achieving the third Sustainable Development Goal, which focuses on health. That SDG is ensuring healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.

Dr Amit Thakker, the chairperson of Kenya Healthcare Federation, could not have stated it more emphatically, "The citizens of East Africa are demanding demand better quality services at affordable and this can be achieved through working partnerships between the private and public sector."