Buliisa Member of Parliament Steven Mukitale Birahwa says only re-centralization of medical services will address Buliisa district’s health staff problems. Buliisa has for the last three years gone without a district health officer and staff retention in the existing health facilities is a problem.
Buliisa member of Parliament Steven Mukitale Birahwa says only re-centralization of medical services will address Buliisa district’s health staff problems.
Buliisa has for the last three years gone without a district health officer and staff retention in the existing health facilities is a problem. The seven-year-old district has lost two district health officers who ran away for greener pastures.
Although some adverts for a replacement have been placed, the district has not attracted any doctor to date. A clinical officer has been occupying the office in acting capacity for the last three years. The clinical officer is also the in-charge Buliisa health Center IV.
Last month, in its Social Accountability Project report targeting the Health and Education sector, Midwestern Anti-Corruption Coalition-MIRAC tasked the district to urgently recruit a substantive health officer.
The Anti-corruption body argued that on top of being under qualified for the job; the acting health officer is being overburdened by serving in two demanding positions. MIRAC added that this is denial of better health services to citizens of Buliisa.
However, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network on Friday evening, MP Birahwa said unless government re-centralizes the medical sector to have doctors posted and transferred from the centre, the problem could persist.
Birahwa explains that with medical staff still being recruited at the district, such remote districts as Buliisa cannot attract and retain doctors and other health staff.
//Cue in: "Its unfortunate...
Cue out: ....disadvantaged."//
Fred Lukumu, the Buliisa district LC5 Chairman, recently admitted that staff retention was the district’s major challenge, not only in the health sector but also in other sectors. He revealed that the district also lacks a substantive engineer.
Lukumu however, revealed that the district has started a scholarship scheme to sponsor children to study medical courses with hope they will return and work in the district.
Buliisa lies in the flood plains of the western arm of the rift valley. The area is poorly served in terms of social services, though it has oil deposits.
