BY MATHIUS KAHUNGU
The Kasese District Chairperson, Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi has restored hope of the leaders of the Church founded health facilities through promising a possible redeployment of the government pay rolled health workers.
The Government of Uganda resolved to withdraw public health workers from private facilities, with key actions taking place between 2023 and 2025, culminating in a total ban on civil servants owning or working in private health facilities effective July 1, 2025.
The above government resolution prompted the Ministry of Health to direct for the withdrawal of government staff from certain private-not-for-profit (PNFP) facilities, citing reasons like hazardous locations and the need to consolidate staff in public health units.
In March 2026, the government reiterated its stance with the Ministry of Health promising strict disciplinary action against employees who remain absent from public facilities to work in private ones.
However, the decision has badly hit many private- not- for- profit (PNFP) health facilities by creating a financial crisis due to the reduction of finances that would come along with the government deployed health workers.
Addressing hundreds of delegates who had thronged St. Paul’s Cathedral for the 21st Diocesan Synod on Monday, Mr. Muhindi revealed that the Ministry of Health has since written and advised them to utilize some of the district health workers to re-organize the facilities.
He added that move was a result of strong advocacy and outcry from the stakeholders who have been pushing for their redeployment.
He, however, clarified that the move would not favor hospitals, asking the church to directly engage the Ministry of Health to advocate for the redeployment of specialists.
The Busongora County North Member of Parliament, Hon. Sowedi Kitanywa, asked the church to utilize the elected legislators to lobby for specialists from the Ministry.
Dr. Julius Monday Bwambale Rude, the Bukonzo County East Member of Parliament-elect supplemented his counterpart before he pledged to render his consultancy services to the Diocese free of charge by the virtue of him being a professional doctor.
ENDS