KAMPALA –UGANDA, April 27, 2023: Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Ministry of Health, joined a Twitter Spaces last evening to respond to a social media campaign against the poor health system in the country.
The Twitter Spaces was hosted by Mr. Robert Kabushenga, former CEO of Vision Group.
The hashtag #UgandaHealthExhibition, which has trended for almost a week, was started by Ugandan academic and social critic Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo who was the guest speaker on the spaces.
The hashtag exposed the state of the health sector in the country, leading to several frustrated Ugandans demanding better healthcare.
The hashtag also attracted a virulent response from the Ministry of Health officials, particularly its spokesman, Emmanuel Ainebyoona.
Dr. Atwine who had blocked Dr. Ssentongo on her Twitter handle during the day, inviting the academic to threaten her with more virulent exposure if she did not unblock him, chose to join the spaces midway to clarify a few issues from which she emerged convincing.
Dr. Atwine joined the Spaces midway and answered a number of issues from the audience that consisted of over 1,500 participants who included, US Ambassador to Uganda H.E Natalie E. Brown.
She clarified that the health sector is underfunded to satisfy everyone and explained that the reason she had blocked Dr. Ssentongo was because the official handle of the Ministry of Health should be the best place to post all these issues.
But she assured Dr. Ssentongo that everything he posts is well-received and appreciated.
She urged him to concentrate on the Ministry of Health handle as it covers a wider audience and is received by all other key players. Dr. Atwine appreciated the conversation and welcomed more such conversations.
During her appearance, she discussed the issue of financing health and National Health Insurance as a solution to solve the problems in the health sector.
Dr. Atwine also highlighted the need for the carrot and the stick approach, where formal complaints with evidence must be lodged with the Medical Council for discipline to be meted out to errant healthcare workers. She emphasized the importance of evidence to prove the veracity of complaints and that hearsay is insufficient to hold someone accountable.
On deploying intern doctors protesting most of this week for lack of placement, Dr. Atwine explained that the ministry needs Shs. 80 billion to do so but the money is not yet available.
