The Ministry of Health on Tuesday launched a joint inspection exercise against unlicensed clinics offering medical services, as well as unqualified people operating as medical personnel.
The operation is jointly coordinated by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, the Allied Health Professionals Council as well as the Nurses’ Council.The operation started in Bwaise, Kyebando and areas surrounding Mulago hospital.
The exercise is aimed at verifying the location of clinics, ownership, license status of practitioners, registration status of clinics as well as suitability of premises.
The team is also examining medical record-keeping, hand-washing facilities, and disposal of medical waste.
The teams also discovered that some of the practitioners possessed expired practicing and clinic operational licenses.
The New Vision 5th March 2010
Agriculture, works ministries fail to use sh400b
About sh406.5b in form of grants and loans has remained unutilised in the ministries of agriculture and works since 2001, the finance ministry has reported.
According to a list of worst and best performing ministries, about sh12.426b are grants from donors. Another sh394.79b is money in loans that was supposed to be spent on various projects.
The list was submitted to the parliamentary committee on national economy.The loans, Mukitale added, have a grace period of 10 years, with a repayment period of 40 years and a 0.75% interest.
The New Vision 5th March 2010
Whistle-blowers to get 5% money reward
Anyone who discloses information on corruption or improper conduct, under the just passed Whistle-Blower Protection Bill, 2009, stands to get 5% of the money recovered, the ethics state minister, James Nsaba Buturo, said on Wednesday.Once passed into law, the Bill will provide protection to whistle-blowers from victimisation.
In addition, it specifies persons qualified to make disclosures and to whom the disclosures may be made.
It also provides for the procedure of making the disclosures and how investigation for proof will be done.
The New Vision 5th March 2010
Muntu warns Ugandans about oil curse
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) national mobilizing secretary, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, has called upon Ugandans not to allow the recently discovered oil to cause problems in the country.
He said African countries endowed with oil are in chaos.Muntu appealed to the youth to resist intimidation during the upcoming elections and guard against election malpractices. Muntu cited countries like Angola and Nigeria which have oil but people are suffering due to political instability.
He accused the Government of failing to put in place institutions for developing strategies on how the natural resources can be used to reduce poverty in the country.
Muntu argued that money got from oil would solve the social and economic problems of the country if properly planned for.
He was on Monday addressing FDC delegates and party supporters at Homeland Hotel in Bushenyi district.
Daily Monitor 5th March 2010
Government fabricating economy growth figures - report
In the midst of widespread public outcry about worsening poverty across the country, the Opposition in Parliament is questioning the government’s impressive economic growth figures and asking, where is the money.In a report to Parliament analysing the performance of the economy in the last three years, the opposition concludes that the government is lying about economic growth and that wealth is now exclusive to a privileged few.
Daily Monitor 5th March 2010
Kabakumba faces House investigation
The on-going row between Information Minister Kabakumba Masiko and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee took centre stage on the floor on Thursday and sucked in Speaker Edward Ssekandi.There were chaotic scenes on the floor as Pac Committee members engaged in a verbal altercation with Speaker Ssekandi over the veracity of reports that Ms Kabakumba had written to the Committee explaining her decision not to appear before it.
Mr Ssekandi, however, moved to throw his weight behind Minister Masiko, who has since declined to honour summons by the watchdog committee over defamation claims, and said it would be “a waste of time” if the committee continued to issue summons for the minister’s appearance.In snubbing the committee for the second time in as many days, Ms Kabakumba wrote a letter dated February 25 to Pac Chairman Nandala Mafabi, who admitted receipt of the letter. She said the committee had no mandate in summoning her because she is not a suspect in the committee’s on-going probe.
Daily Monitor 5th March 2010
Donors may cut aid to Uganda in corruption protest
Donors will suspend aid to Uganda to protest at escalating corruption unless the government undertakes urgent measures to curb the vice, the donors warned government in a letter. Uganda's economy has maintained a powerful growth momentum over the last decade, riding on liberal reforms and rising entrepreneurial energy.
However, mounting corruption and government's reluctance to combat it have stoked fierce criticism and analysts have warned the vice may dampen the country's otherwise bright growth prospects. Kundhavi Kadiresan, World Bank's representative in Uganda and current chair of the donors' group that presented the statement to the government said Kampala's tolerance of corrupt public officers was deepening a culture of impunity. Although economic expansion has enormously boosted Uganda's domestic revenue base and allowed the country to accelerate reduction of donor-dependence, aid still accounts for about 30 percent of its annual budgetary resources.
The Daily Monitor 5th March 2010
District officials face arrest over school fees
The President has threatened to arrest district officials who fail to stop government–aided schools from charging extra fees.President Museveni, who is on a countrywide tour inspecting the Prosperity -for-All programme, said both the Universal Primary and Secondary Education programmes are free and are meant to benefit all Ugandans, especially low-income earners.President Museveni has always warned head teachers and schools against charging extra fees, saying they contribute to the school drop-out rates. The President repeated the same call while addressing another rally in Bukuya Sub- county where he emphasised the need for women to boost household incomes as a way of empowering themselves.He announced he had instructed the Finance Minister, Ms Syda Bumba, to intervene and address the fluctuating prices especially for maize.
The Daily Monitor 5th March 2010
IGG calls for demotion of Jinja deputy Cao over abuse of office
The Inspector General of Government has recommended for the demotion of Jinja District Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Badru Mugweri over alleged irregular recruitment of civil servants.The IGG accuses Mr Mugerwi of employing people who lack qualifications at the expense of suitable candidates.
In a February 18 letter, Mr Raphael Bakku, recommended that Mr Mugweri should not be allowed to occupy any position in the country before being punished.
Meanwhile, the IGG has ordered for the re-advertisement of the post of Kamuli Town Council principal town clerk over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. The IGG established that applicants with necessary qualifications had been left out in favour of those with shady academic qualifications.