Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have called on the Ugandan parliament to correct a crisis in the health sector by recruiting 5,000 new health workers and increasing their allowance in financial year 2011-2012.
This call has come up in response to the persistent shortage of professional health workers, particularly nurses and midwives at lower level health facilities.
A coalition of CSOs are demanding that parliament reallocate funds in the 2011-2012 draft budget in order to attain the national goal of recruiting and deploying an additional 5,000 professional health workers to rural areas and also enhancing their allowances so that they
are retained and motivated.
According to Executive Director of Action Group for Health, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA) Apophia Agiresaasi, Uganda still has unacceptably high maternal
and infant mortality rates. This would be alleviated if there were political will to deliver on the promise of African Governments in 2001 to invest at least 15% of their budget in health.
Meanwhile Leonard Okello, Country Director for International HIV/AIDS Alliance Uganda
revealed that if the pronouncements made to parliament are disregarded in the upcoming Appropriations Act of 2011, then Uganda must approve a supplementary budget to correct this needless epidemic of maternal mortality, which is particularly affecting rural woman. The time for action is now.
He adds money should be put into health centers I, II, III and IV which are designed for
immediate assistance to communities. It is time for government to sit up and respond
for this act.
