Government To Transform Health Sector

This year, the government has committed approximately K930 million to equally employ and deploy 11,200 health workers around the country.

Sylvia Masebo, Minister of Health, has stated that this is in an effort to truly modernise the health system and attain universal health care for everybody.

According to Ms. Masebo, the present number of health employees in the health sector is 63, 838, compared to the allowed establishment of 139, 590.

She said that the scenario creates a human resource shortage of 75,752, which accounts for 56% of the allowed establishment.

Ms. Masebo stated that the recruitment of 11,200 health professionals will increase the Ministry of Health's staffing levels.

She noted that the number of health personnel will grow from 63,838 (46%) to 75,038 (54%) of the allowed establishment.

The Minister of Health added that the government is acutely aware of the difficulties faced by health professionals who have specialised in numerous disciplines but remain in lower-level positions on the payroll owing to a shortage of empty and financed promotional opportunities.

She stated that the Ministry of Health, in consultation with the Civil Service Commission, Public Service Management Division, Cabinet Office, and Ministry of Finance, has finalised the prioritisation of the 11,200 health employees to be hired in 2022.

The priorities, according to the minister, are based on the sector's genuine human resource demands.

These include having at least one certified health worker at a facility where none currently exists and expanding the number of health professionals.

She indicated that the treasury authority for the recruiting procedure would go into force on April 1st, 2022.