The Ntungamo Member of Parliament, Naome Kabasharira, has decried “general corruption” in the health sector, saying it is hindering service delivery and making the locals loose trust in the health system.
Ms. Kabasharira said “rotten, corrupt and uncommitted health workers and the health ministry” have let down people and that health service delivery needs to be streamlined to cater for proper delivery.
“There is a lot of corruption in these hospitals and the ministry. Government puts a lot of money in the health sector generally but if you look at the budget, how the sector budgets, it leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the money is put into things that are not useful at the headquarters where they just drive vehicles. The very work is really in the hospitals but they cant put any money there,” Ms. Kabasharira said.
Ms. Kabasharira, who sits on the Social Services Committee of Parliament, said a lot of money has been allocated to the ministry headquarters for workshops and travel allowances, without the local person being catered for.
Ms. Kabasharira says money meant for proper delivery of services at the local level is taken and spent on offices for workshops, travel and allowances for top ministry workers, and that trying to streamline this policy must be fought from the very top.
She said, with the current system in place, even allocating money to the health sector would be misleading as nothing will be done to change the health services situation.
Ms. Kabasharira further said many workers in the health services have failed to adhere to ethical conditions and have fallen into general corruption, demanding bribes from patients, taking away medicines for personal clinics and neglecting duty because they are not paid well.
“We all understand that medical workers are not paid well, but they now are better off than other civil servants like teachers, for they get allowances. But even little pay cannot lead to making mistakes you know are fatal,” she said.
Ms. Kabasharira was reacting following claims by Islamic leaders that Parliament and the top political leaders have failed to provide proper laws to provide a health system that is accessible to all citizens.
At the Ntungamo Uganda Moslem Supreme council Mosque, the Ntungamo district Kadhi Sheikh Migade Abdallah, called on leaders to formulate a proper policy, which would lead to all citizens to equality, especially in regards to health facilities.
He said, because more leaders access private health services and health services abroad, they have let Ugandan health services deteriorate, thus neglecting citizens.
I appreciate! let the world fight corruption that eats the very citizen, to the extent of health services.