Museveni explains suspension of P.S

by vision reporter

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni ordered the suspension of the Permanent Secretary of the health ministry for sabotaging Government efforts to stop the theft of medicines.

“I am directing you to cause the interdiction of Mary Nannono, as well as causing her to appear before the Public Service Commission for further disciplinary action,” Museveni wrote on September 30 to John Mitala, the head of Public Service. He listed eight incidences where the permanent secretary either dismissed his directives or showed neglect of duty.

In 2006, he ordered the health ministry to label all Government drugs, Museveni wrote in the letter. This was done to “stop the now well known theft of those drugs, which are sold in shops owned by the medical workers”. He, however, said Nannono and other bureaucrats in the ministry refused to carry out the instructions, claiming it would be too costly.

“Later on, the new management of the National Medical Stores (NMS) did extensive research and found that this was not true. It is not too costly to label our drugs.”

He said he sent new instructions to the health minister, who passed the letter on to the permanent secretary, after which it disappeared and no action was taken.

In another incident, he said, a decision was taken to buy drugs through the National Medical Stores in bulk, rather than sending money to the districts and the hospitals where it could be diverted. But Nannono wrote to the finance ministry, “cautioning them that a political directive was interfering with their work”, Museveni noted.

“I think all this was deliberate so as to allow the present system of sending money to districts so that it is more easily stolen.”

Another reason for Nannono’s suspension was the diversion of most of the sh11b given to Mulago Hospital for the purchase of drugs.

Museveni in his letter wonders why the management of Mulago wanted only sh2b to be transferred to NMS to buy drugs and the rest to be used for buying soap and paying allowances.

“I will cause the IGG to investigate that position of Mulago. Anyway, our permanent secretary felt that even the sh2b was too much for drugs. She suggested that only sh500m be sent to NMS.”

Museveni also accused Nannono of giving false figures to Parliament, telling the social services committee that only sh52b was allocated to the health ministry.

“In fact, the money allocated was sh70.9b. Was this attempted theft of this money? This is unacceptable.”

Nannono is also accused of refusing to sign the conclusions of the annual review meeting, held in October 2008. As a result, the ministry not only lacked guidelines but also lost an eight million euro grant from France, Museveni observed.

Apart from asking for her suspension, Museveni also copied the letter to the Inspector General of Government and the Police boss “for their own subsequent actions”.

Theft of medicines sent to up-country health centres has increased with the decentralisation of health services. The health minister earlier this year estimated that up to half of all drugs sent to the districts were stolen.