No applicants yet for 36 key Mulago vacancies
Publish Date: Jul 16, 2012
Attempts
by the Health Service Commission (HSC) to fill 36 vacancies of highly qualified
staff at Mulago hospital, Kampala
have come to naught after adverts calling for suitable applicants returned no
positive response for the last two years.
The
posts were part of the 141 vacancies the national referral hospital declared to
HSC in the financial year 2010/11, of which 105 have been filled.
The
vacant positions include; Senior Oncologists, Consultant Nuclear Medicine,
Consultant Pediatric Neurologists,
Orthopedics and Ophthalmology, Public Health Dental Technologists,
Principal Occupational Therapists, and Dental Technicians.
Efforts
to reach HSC chairperson, Prof. Pius Okong, about the absence of interest in
the vacancies proved futile as his known cell phone number was off.
Public
hospitals in the country are grappling with the challenge of attracting highly
qualified personnel from private practice due to poor pay.
Mulago
hospital's executive director, Dr. Byarugaba Baterana, recently while reacting
to the Auditor General's report for the year ending 2010, before the Parliament
Public Accounts Committee, blamed the HSC of compounding the hospitals'
manpower woes by failing to recruit 141 vacancies at the national referral
hospital since 2010.
However,
HSC has since clarified that 75 percent of the 141 vacancies have been filled
besides the impending interviews for 84 vacancies that Mulago wanted filled in
the financial year 2011/12.
In
the financial year 2012/13, government has slapped a moratorium on recruitment
of health workers except to replace staff who are already in the payroll, but
left service for various reasons.
Uganda is a
signatory to the Abuja Declaration which entreats African countries to expend
15 percent of their annual budgets to improve the health sector.
However,
financial constraints have made it difficult for the East African country to
honor this fundamental obligation.
Unlike
other civil servants that are appointed by the Public Service Commission, the
HSC is mandated to recruit medical personnel.
This
was done to help health professionals have a specialized appointing commission
which could be sensitive to their cause and professionally tackle the
peculiarities and unique issues inherent in the Health Service.
The Constitution provides for a seven-member
commission at least three of whom should be persons who have substantial
experience in health science and are appointed by the President.
UK aid cash helped African dictator buy himself a £30m jet
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002319/UK-aid-cash-helped-African-dictator-buy-30m-jet.html
By Ian DruryUPDATED:
British aid money was used by an African dictator to buy a £30million jet, it emerged last night.
Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni bought the top-of-the-range Gulfstream G550 private plane in the same year ministers gave his poverty- ravaged country £70million.
During the same period Uganda also received around £57million from the UK through the European Union.
The autocratic 67-year-old leader – currently facing criticism for launching a violent crackdown against protesters demanding an Egyptian-style uprising – received the cash under the Labour government in 2008-09.
Mr Museveni, who fought an election with posters depicting him as Rambo, bought the new 562mph plane while millions of civilians struggled to feed themselves.
The Gulfstream G550 can carry 18 passengers in comfort and has been dubbed the ‘world’s most versatile and stylish ultra-long-range jet’.
The revelation highlights the controversy of hard-pressed British families being asked to fork out higher taxes to pay for spurious aid projects.
The EU has been criticised by auditors for failing to measure the impact of the handouts, with much of the money lining the pockets of corrupt regimes.
The Government has carried out a sweeping review of how aid money is distributed and spent. In future, funding will be targeted on sectors, such as health and education.
But International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell is facing a backlash for expressing his desire to make the UK a ‘development superpower’.
Ministers are increasing aid spending by 34 per cent to £12billion at a time of austerity at home and Prime Minister David Cameron will again defend the policy at an event on Monday.
Last night Lord Ashcroft, the Tory peer who uncovered the use of public money to buy the jet, said it was vital that the review tightened up the rules on how developing nations spent aid money.
Chris Heaton-Harris, a Tory MP and former MEP, said: ‘Government-to-government aid without proper checks just does not work. We need to be absolutely sure that every penny of UK taxpayers’ money given in aid alleviates poverty and provides good value.’
President Museveni was involved in the war that deposed brutal tyrant Idi Amin in 1979 and has led Uganda since 1986.
But recently the ex-guerilla fighter has been dogged by charges of corruption.
In 2005, health charities suspended some grants to Uganda, citing alleged financial mismanagement and last year the EU cut budget support to Uganda amid serious fears the regime was pocketing funds.
His presidential election victory in 2006 was condemned after the arrest on treason and rape charges of his main rival, Dr Kizza Besigye.
And in April, Mr Museveni’s military police attacked protesters amid growing unrest sparked by rising food and fuel prices.
A source close to Mr Mitchell said: ‘This issue dates back to the previous Labour government, who simply weren’t tough enough on waste and inefficiency.
‘There has been an overhaul of the aid programme since then.’
Teachers defy minister, go on strike
Publish Date: Jul 16, 2012
BY FAUSTINE ODEKE AND GODFREY OJORE
Some teachers have gone on a two-day strike despite the government’s warning
against taking part in it. In Kampala
and some parts of the central region, schools operated normally.Some upcountry Schools remain closed and pupils were seen playing and loitering in the compounds.
In Tororo district a number of schools were closed as pupils were playing.
Some teachers told pupils on Friday not to report on Monday and Tuesday.
Pupils at St Jude primary school- Malaba said they were surprised to arrive at the school and did not find any teacher.
They played as the classrooms remained locked while others revised their books in the compound.
The district education officer Yona Gamusi Doya confirmed that there was no teaching taking place in schools.
In Soroti, the offices of some schools in Soroti municipality remained closed with padlocks on the doors while others opened but without teachers.
Two padlocks were placed on the office door of Fr. Hilders Primary school in Soroti municipality. At 11:23am primary seven pupils were hanging at the school compound playing.
“We saw two female teachers coming but they stopped at the gate and returned without reaching to the office,” one primary seven pupil told New Vision.
Government on Sunday warned teachers against taking part in what was described as an illegal countrywide strike.
Speaking to New Vision, the education minister, Jessica Alupo said teachers who miss classes today and tomorrow will be considered as having absconded from duty, a misconduct she said would attract punishment.
The teachers' union (UNATU) in collaboration with various civil society organizations over the weekend announced a two-day teachers' protest over poor pay and appalling conditions in public schools.
Earlier on Friday minister Alupo had issued a statement saying she had been assured by the UNATU that the organization wasn't involved in the planned strike.
But shortly after the teacher’s body issued a statement saying it will present a petition to Parliament on Tuesday as the rest of the teachers remain at home.
Surprised by UNATU's turn-around, the minister scoffed at their move, saying it was uncalled-for. "The schools will remain open on Monday and Tuesday and we expect all parents to send their children for studies," the minister said, adding that even the legality of UNATU's action was doubtable.
Alupo explained that teachers fall in the same 'sensitive category' as Police and army where impromptu strikes by staff are illegal.
She said even the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Government, which UNATU has been agitating for so long bars teachers from staging spontaneous sit-down strikes.
