Health activists praise late Dr Mungherera

Civil society organisations have described the Late Dr Margaret Mungherera as a good health activist who loved her country.

The members under the umbrella organisation the Family planning budget advocacy group, maternal child and adolescent health coalition said they have been  working with the deceased in the time of crisis when the health workers were not being paid well and during the time when the housing facilities for health personnel where not up to standard.

'She has been lobbying for the welfare of health workers. Losing her as a result of cancer is a big loss to entire country,' the executive director Action Group for Human Rights and HIV/AIDS Dennis Odwe said during a press conference at Africana hotel in Kampala

Odwe appealed to government to ensure that all Regional referral hospitals are in position to treat cancer and save lives adding that the country cannot continue losing great cadres like Dr Mungherera.

 He also called for a need to train more experts to manage all types of cancers and other conditions like heart diseases in the country. 'Majority of our experts are going to Rwanda and South Africa to work there because they are not paid well.

Until government strengthen the health system in terms of training more cadres and remunerating them very well then we shall make positive progress,' Odwe said.

Moses Dombo the chief of party Advocacy for Better Health stressed that 'facilitating highly specialized health professionals in cancer care, organ transplant, and neurosurgery will reduce on referrals abroad,'

He said the ministry of health should prioritize the sh50b that is required for the recruitment of health workers. 'This could be got from the sh241b meant for upgrading 93 health centre IIIs.

'The cost of construction per each health facility is estimated to cost sh2.6b, there is a need for a feasibility study to establish the exact cost, so that the balance of funds is reallocated to crucial areas like recruitment of health workers, procurement of essential medicines, National health insurance scheme and that more people should be put on ARVs,' Dombo said.

Jeff Wadulo from civil society budget Advocacy group noted that majority of Health Centre which were constructed are not equipped and have limited health workers. The CSOs also request government to increase funds for Primary Health Care (PHC). According to MOH estimates, PHC non-wage requires an additional sh20b