Wale calls for a new Health Minister

The Minister of Health and Medical Services should be re-assigned, says the Member of Parliament for Aoke Langa Langa, Matthew Wale.

Mr. Wale made the comments in his debate on the 2018 Supplementary Appropriation Number Two Bill 2018 in Parliament yesterday.

He said the government’s approach to addressing the needs of the country’s healthcare system can only be described as “negligence”.

Mr. Wale, also a member of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee said failure by the Prime Minister and Cabinet to take the remedial decisions in addressing the healthcare crisis reflects poor governance.

He suggested, the Minister of Health be re-assigned if he is incapable of managing the health system.

“You respect each other and so allow the Minister to struggle on his own. If the Minister is incapable of managing the healthcare system, it is the role of the Prime Minister on behalf of the people of this country, some of whom are dying preventable deaths, that the Minister should be re-assigned Mr Speaker.

“I am sorry to be saying this because we are all brothers, but there are people dying and in the name of those people Prime Minister there’s got to be clearer leadership, both the current Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister as well”.

The MP for Aoke Langa Langa adds, both current and former Prime Ministers have shown weak leadership by allowing the situation to drag on.

“This is not a situation that just happened few months since the new Prime Minister comes in. In this matter there has been indecision, indecisive leadership, weak leadership from both Prime Ministers that allowed the situation to drag on for so long until now.

“Sir I am sorry that I have to say this but the situation is so bad that these things need to be said. What evidence do you need to be persuaded that a situation has reached crisis point and that better leadership, better governance must be applied to it?”.

Meanwhile, Mr Wale said the country’s health and medical sector is still in a crisis situation.

He said the recent shortage of essential drugs is one aspect of the mismanagement of the country’s health care system.

He added another aspect is the working environment in the country’s clinics and hospitals – a hazard to health workers and patients.

The Aoke-Langalanga MP described the situation as the result of a high level of negligence within the system.

He urged the national government to set health priorities at its basic level.

By: Rickson Bau and Charlie Salini