Otaala wants govt to take over contracts
Jul 29, 2008
THE Government should take over the construction and rehabilitation of health centres and other public facilities to stop shoddy work, the state minister for primary health care has said.
By Cornes Lubangakene
THE Government should take over the construction and rehabilitation of health centres and other public facilities to stop shoddy work, the state minister for primary health care has said.
Dr. Emmanuel Otaala noted that local governments had failed to supervise private contractors, leading to shoddy work.
He was on Friday touring the renovated theatre at Awach Health Centre IV in Aswa county, Gulu district.
“This type of work is not value for money. It was poorly done and it must be done again. We should recentralise these works so that the contracts are awarded by the central government,†said Otaala.
He added that many health centres he had visited that were worked on by contractors were in a poor state.
A medical worker at the health centre said, on condition of anonymity, that the theatre had been turned into a maternity ward because its standard did not meet the requirement.
But the LC5 chairman, Norbert Mao, said even the health centres done by the central government were not any better. He cited Lalogi Health Centre IV.
He blamed the shoddy work on corruption during the award of tenders.
“The contracts committees demand money from the contractors who also want to get profit. So the money left for real work is so little that it cannot do a good job.â€
He urged the authorities to step up the supervision of contractors to ensure quality work at the sites.
THE Government should take over the construction and rehabilitation of health centres and other public facilities to stop shoddy work, the state minister for primary health care has said.
Dr. Emmanuel Otaala noted that local governments had failed to supervise private contractors, leading to shoddy work.
He was on Friday touring the renovated theatre at Awach Health Centre IV in Aswa county, Gulu district.
“This type of work is not value for money. It was poorly done and it must be done again. We should recentralise these works so that the contracts are awarded by the central government,†said Otaala.
He added that many health centres he had visited that were worked on by contractors were in a poor state.
A medical worker at the health centre said, on condition of anonymity, that the theatre had been turned into a maternity ward because its standard did not meet the requirement.
But the LC5 chairman, Norbert Mao, said even the health centres done by the central government were not any better. He cited Lalogi Health Centre IV.
He blamed the shoddy work on corruption during the award of tenders.
“The contracts committees demand money from the contractors who also want to get profit. So the money left for real work is so little that it cannot do a good job.â€
He urged the authorities to step up the supervision of contractors to ensure quality work at the sites.