Govt: serious patients have to be sent outside the country

THE Government has laid down its procedures and rules which allow people to go outside the country to receive better treatment or education with a special government permit when it has realized that such services are not available in the country. The Deputy Minister for Local government Agrey Mwanri said yesterday in Parliament that, the issuing of such government permits depends on the proposals of the institution concerned. He was responding a question by Aliko Kibona (CCM) Ileje, who wanted to know the essence of the permits issued to the people in the country to go outside the country to receive such services, and that, the government does not see it diminish the country’s status. The legislator also wanted to know when the government will bring experienced medical and health personnel in Itumba district designated hospital so as to avoid a shameful act of some of the people who move across the border to the neighboring Malawian country to seek for better medical treatment. In answering such a query, minister Mwanri admitted the situation and noted that, the hospital is currently running with the shortage of staff which currently are 97 instead of 198 a satiation that leads to the shortage of experienced medical personnel including specialized doctors.

Deputy Minister for Local government Agrey Mwanri

However, he noted that, in this 2013/14 financial year, Itumba district council had asked for a permit to employ 54 medial personnel in order to fill the gap. He added that, the council authorities is still making a follow up of such experienced staff from the President’s Office responsible for the Public Management Service through the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Minister Mwanri has assured the authority of the district council that, once such workers are made available would be dispatched immediately to the respective work stations where there is a great need. He further noted that, in order to ensure that their hospital provides better medical treatment to the people, the government had approved a total of Sh. 37.6 million to help facilitate the entire operational move at the hospital. He said that, out of this amount, Sh. 26.4 million was set aside for the purchase of medicines and a total of Sh. 11.2 was set for the purchase of the equipments used for treatment, and all money has been sent for both purposes.