The Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, Catherine Bitarakate, has approved government hospitals and health facilities to hire new staff
Bitarakate included her directive in a communication to Health Ministry’s counterpart, Diana Atwine, stating that only hospitals with extra money for wages can hire new staff.
A recent report by the Auditor General found that twenty-one hospitals across the country had more money for wages than they needed.
The government, through the Ministry of Finance, banned hiring new staff for all ministries, departments, agencies, and local governments in April 2023 for two years to conduct a comprehensive audit of the payroll.
Bitarakate stated that the audit has concluded, but hiring has not resumed as her ministry is reviewing the wage bill based on the Auditor General’s recommendations.
Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng mentioned that the ban on hiring new staff was affecting the establishment of the new Organ Transplant Program at Mulago Specialized National Referral Hospital.
She explained that Mulago Hospital, where many people are waiting for kidney transplants, only had three transplant surgeons and needed permission to hire more specialists. The hospital has 1.3 billion shillings set aside to hire staff for this and other important positions.
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