The government is planning to employ 10,467 employees in the health sector who will be distributed in various councils in the 2021/22 Financial Year in order to address the shortage of experts including pharmacists and medical technicians.

Minister of State in the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Dr Festo Ndugange made the commitment in Parliament today May 8 when responding to a question from Bukene Constituency lawmaker Selemani Zedi.

In his question, Mr Zedi sought to know if the government sees the importance of recruiting pharmacists at least for every health center in the country in order to strengthen supervision, flow and availability of medicine.

In his response, Dr Dugange said staffing levels require that pharmacists be recruited to work in hospitals, while medicine technicians and their assistants would be employed to work in health centers and dispensaries.

“From May, 2017 to February 2021, PO-RALG has employed 79 pharmacists, 313 medicine technicians and 160 assistant medicine technicians,” he said.

Dr Dugange admitted that pharmacists, medicine technicians and their assistants are important experts in the health sector in strengthening coordination and supervision of health provision materials.

Responding to the supplementary question from the MP who demanded answers over reasons that denied District Medical Officer (DMOs) permission to recruit the experts in internship or short term contracts conditions, Mr Dugange said such permission has been given.

“Councils with enough budgetary capabilities have been allowed to recruit these experts in short term contracts and make close supervision on their performance. Let me use this opportunity to remind the councils that they are allowed to reduce the challenge upon having the budget in the councils,” he said.