Govt not ready to fight a third wave-Experts

By Ritah Kemigisa
With a third covid19 wave looming, the government has been criticized by experts for being ill prepared and failing to prioritize the health sector.

The Government is on the spot for spending on non-productive sectors of the economy and borrowing heavily with estimates showing that loans could surpass the 50 percent threshold of debt to GDP ratio.

The Monetary Policy Report for the period ended August from the Bank of Uganda shows that public debt stock has increased to Shs70.3 trillion, indicating a growth of 22.5 per cent as of June 2021.

Dr Olive Kobusingye, a trauma surgeon consultant warns that poor investment decisions by the government are putting the lives of many Ugandans at stake.

She is calling for better funding to the health workforce and sector at large.

“We need to look at the health workforce, right now it is the real weak link. We do not have the right numbers but also the right types of health workers in the right places.

Those we do have, some of them are poorly trained, they are poorly paid, and we have no incentives to do a good job. The health workforce is really ailing and we need to look at it urgently.”

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna