The government of Uganda has lifted the ban on the recruitment of critical staff across the country in response to widespread shortages of medical personnel within National, Specialised, and Regional Referral Hospitals. The decision was conveyed in a letter dated February 19 from the Ministry of Public Service to the Health Ministry.
The Uganda Medical Association has urged the swift recruitment of essential staff following the government’s decision. Dr. Herbert Luswata, the association’s president, emphasized the adverse impact of the recruitment ban on healthcare delivery due to significant human resource gaps in public health facilities. Notably, staffing levels for doctors and nurses have ranged from 21 percent to 63 percent, averaging at 42 percent, leaving a substantial void in healthcare provision.
Dr. Luswata commended the government’s action, stating that the recruitment suspension had impeded healthcare delivery, delayed promotions, and resulted in unemployment for healthcare professionals despite meeting promotion criteria.
Ms. Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, outlined the lifting of the ban in a letter, citing government audits and clearance by the Cabinet as the basis for the decision. The initial suspension, advised by the Ministry of Finance, aimed to allow for a comprehensive audit of the payroll by the Auditor General.
Despite the completion of the payroll audit, ongoing reviews of the wage bill prompted the government to reconsider the ban. Consequently, certain hospitals with surplus wage budgets, as per the Auditor General’s report, have been authorized to recruit critical positions in the 2023/2024 financial year.
Moving forward, Ms. Bitarakwate has requested hospital management to submit vacancy details to the Health Service Commission within available budgetary constraints. Notably, 21 major public health facilities have a combined wage bill of approximately Shs43 billion allocated for recruitment purposes.
Dr. Luswata urged regional and national referral hospital directors to promptly provide position information to the Health Services Commission for advertisement and recruitment. Additionally, he called on Parliament to allocate a budget for doctor recruitment in local governments, particularly within HCIIIs, and collaborate with stakeholders to establish legislation governing internship and senior house officer terms of service to mitigate strikes and enhance internship quality through improved supervision.
